Stakeholders in the fishing industry have indicated the need for unsustainable fishing practices to be stopped immediately to save the industry from collapse.
This follows government’s postponement of the closed season after some industry players raised concerns about the ban, which will now be implemented in 2019.
Commenting, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Professor Francis Nunoo said the reversal of the proposed one month ban on fishing activities has cost the nation more than GH¢5 million.
He explained that the funds were used for extensive sensitisation, and to purchase equipment for fishermen.
Professor Nunoo was speaking on GBC’s current Affairs Programme, “Talking Point” which discussed the closed season.
The Director of “Yen Mpoano” a civil society group that caters for the welfare of the fishers and marine life, Kofi Agbogah was unhappy with the politicisation of the closed season by a section of Ghanaians.
He said the fisheries sector is bedeviled with problems that need attention adding that one of such interventions is the introduction of Closed Season, which aims at ensuring that fish is spawned to replenish the country’s fast depleting marine stock.
He said to play politics with the solutions would lead to the total collapse of the sector.
The Chief Fisherman of Osu, Nii Djamlodza, said the Fisheries Watch Committee needs the support of the Sector Ministry to be effective in its mandate.
He advised fishermen to desist from illegal methods of fishing, and join forces with the ministry to enforce the laws.
