The Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Mavis Hawa has spelt out clear sanctions for fishermen who are caught fishing with unauthorized fishing nets, engaging in transshipment, and what she describes as “catching and dumping.”
According to her, a $1 million fine would be imposed on such persons.
In addition, she stated that they could be faced with a permanent ban off the sea. Speaking in an interaction with Anim Addo on UTV’s Ayekoo programme, she stated this in line with the laws that bar industrial trawlers from fishing.
Touting her achievements as the Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister in the interview, she stated that prior to her assuming office, canoe operators had no law which regulated their usage of unauthorized nets.
But her administration has introduced directives that allow the arrest and a fine of a thousand units penalty, which is equivalent to an amount of almost three thousand, nine hundred Ghana.
She further added that canoe operators refuse to comply with these fishing directives from the ministry because they realized that industrial trawlers were engaging in transshipment, and dumping at sea.
“As I stated earlier, these canoe operators began using light and unauthorized nets because they realized that the trawler operators were using unauthorized nets to catch the very small fishes for “saiko” and engaging in transshipment at sea,” she said.
In a bid to curb this menace, Mrs. Koomson announced that the ministry has put measures in place to fine members who engage in such unlawful acts.
She also added that a ministerial directive would be given to ensure a thorough inspection of fishing gear before the fishers would be allowed to begin fishing after the closed season is over.
“We have told them to stop these acts. We have also given a ministerial directive that from September 1, we would come around to inspect their fishing gears before they are allowed at sea to prevent the usage of unauthorized gears” she added.
The fishing closed season was announced by the fisheries minister to commence from July 1,2022 to August 1,2022 for artisanal and semi-industrial fleets and July 1 to August 31st for industrial trawlers. The minister announced this at Accra’s 2022 closed season national consultative meeting.
Source: The Independent Ghana