A durbar has been held at the Ekumfi Otuam Landing Beach in the Central Region to mark the end of the Fishing Closed Season which took effect on July 1, 2022, for Artisanal and Inshore Fleets.
The durbar spearheaded by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Fisheries Commission (MoFAD), in partnership with the United States Government, through the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) is to officially open the sea to fishing.
Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of MoFAD, Mrs. Mavis Hawa Koomson said the closed season is constitutional and has come to stay as a stock recovery strategy.
As such, she said her ministry will continue to review the strategies as the report and biological studies are also reviewed.
She, therefore, appealed to fishers to refrain from illegal fishing practices and to abide by rules of engagement in fishing activities.
Mrs. Koomson stressed saying “let us do away with illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices such as undersized mesh, DDT, light fishing, etc.”
To this end, she assured that the Fisheries Enforcement Unit would be empowered to increase patrols, arrest offenders, and prosecute them.
She said “the attention of the Ministry has been drawn to the fact that recently some fishers have demarcated parts of the sea as their own and deployed fishing nets and fish aggregating devices in the demarcated areas for their exclusive use. I wish to inform the general public and all fishermen that such activity contravenes the Fisheries Act and Regulations. I will soon deploy personnel of the FEU to arrest and prosecute them.”
On her part, USAID Mission Director, Kimberly Rosen says it is the priority of the U.S Government to lay the foundation for healthy Aquaculture Development.
She explained that science has revealed that, Ghana’s small pelagic resources are severely depleted and as such, the U.S. government is committed to increasing food security in Ghana through the Feed the Future Initiative.
“Since 2009, the U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development or USAID, has been a strong partner to the Ministry and Fisheries Commission in supporting the development of a healthy and vibrant fisheries sector. Through these interventions, the Ministry and Fisheries embrace the first fishing closed seasons in 2019”
Background
The 2022 fishing closed season marks the third time the Ministry is implementing a key fisheries management measure that allows fishes that are heavy with eggs, and ultimately replenish dwindling stocks while safeguarding the livelihood of over 3 million Ghanaians.
The period also provides a unique time for fishers to rest, mend their nets and repair their canoes while working with regulators to identify key steps to address Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) in the industrial trawl and artisanal sub-sectors.
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Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
