Three fishermen, namely Atitso Atsitsogbui, Seth Kwesi Abelia, and Agbesi Atisu, have been apprehended by Denu Police in the Volta Region for fishing during the closed season.
Upon sighting the closed season monitoring team, some of their accomplices managed to escape and are now being pursued.
The authorities successfully retrieved the fish caught during their fishing expedition, and the canoe they were using (with registration number VR-KS-086-AVM and bearing the inscription Holy FM) has been impounded.
The arrest took place during a joint operation conducted by officials from the Eastern Naval Command, the Fisheries Enforcement Unit (FEU), the Monitoring Control Surveillance Division (MCSD), and the Marine Police.
The Head of the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Karimatu Anas, provided information about the arrest. The fishermen were apprehended at Abeliakope in the Ketu South District on July 12, 2023, while the monitoring team was checking compliance with the closed season.
The Fisheries Enforcement Unit has been conducting visits to various fishing communities to ensure compliance with the fishing closed season. During their recent patrols in the Greater Accra Region and Volta Region, most communities were observed to be complying with the closed season regulations.
The team took the opportunity to interact with the fishermen during the exercise, sensitizing them about the importance of stopping illegal fishing practices and adhering to regulations when the season resumes.
Commodore Francis Nyarko commended the fishermen for their compliance and urged them to continue respecting the law and avoiding illegal fishing activities once the season reopens.