Closed fishing season laudable but…

President John Dramani Mahama last Saturday announced the introduction of a closed fishing season to promote sustainable fishing and also help replenish the depleting fish stock in the marine sub-sector.

Although details on the closed season are still sketchy, it is believed that the move will complement the enforcement of the provisions of the Fisheries Act and the Fisheries Regulations to ensure the sustainability of the fisheries industry. 

For many years, the only form of a fishing holiday in the sea has been the no-fishing-on-Tuesdays rule imposed by local authorities to ensure that the stock of fish in the sea is not completely depleted.

While the ban on fishing on Tuesdays may have worked in times past, the announcement last Saturday by President Mahama suggests that the single day has not been very effective in preserving what is left of the fish in the sea.

In recent times, fishermen have continually complained about declining fish catches after long hours on the sea, while the famed August bumper catches that always resulted in an abundance of fish such as herrings are no more.

The reasons for dwindling catches may be the use of improper fishing methods and nets which do not spare fingerlings, as well as the introduction of bigger vessels that haul in a lot of fish at a time, instead of the smaller boats that were used in the past.

That is why the Daily Graphic lauds the introduction of a policy that will preserve what is left of our fish stock, such as the closed season announced by the President.

We, however, ask: how long will the closed season last? What will become of fisher folk, including fishmongers, the women who buy and sell fresh fish from the fishermen and all the people involved in the fish business chain, during the period?

Do we have enough functioning cold stores to store fish caught during the open season to cater for the protein or fish needs of the country? Or are we going to import fish when it is illegal to go fishing in the sea?

Before we implement any closed fishing season, we must look at how the closed hunting season has fared in the country. 

Although it is illegal to hunt wildlife in Ghana every year from August 1 to December 1, many hunters still flout the law and kill game, but they are not punished because enforcement  is weak.

How, then, are we sure that the sea would be effectively patrolled during the closed season to ensure that the law is obeyed by all to achieve the desired result of protecting what is left of our fish in the sea? 

Although aqua-culture production may have increased to more than 50,000 metric tonnes of fish annually, we still cannot discount sea fishing, as it accounts for a larger chunk of the fish and other marine needs of the country.

That is why we cannot get it wrong with the closed fishing season. All stakeholders must be involved to ensure the smooth implementation of the policy, so that we chalk up maximum success in its implementation.