Close Season starts August 1: Licence required to hunt Akrantiɛ

The Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission has announced that the annual ban on hunting, capturing and destroying of wild animals will commence from August 1, 2019, and end on December 1, 2019.

The five-month ban otherwise known as “Close Season” is in conformity with the Wildlife Conservation Regulation 1971, L.I. 685.

Any person who contravenes the regulation would be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine.

A public notice signed by the Executive Director of the Wildlife Division mentioned that the only wild animal that can be hunted during the period is the grass cutter (Akrantiɛ) and only under a license issued by the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.

“During this period, it shall be illegal for anybody to hunt, capture or destroy any wild animal except the grass cutter (Akrantie), which can be done only under licence issued by the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission,” the notice said.

Grasscutter meat is a delicacy in Ghana because of its high protein contents and low cholesterol level as compared to beef and goat meat.

Consumer acceptance trails conducted by Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) found that grasscutter meat was found to be 49.7%, compared to 28.9% and 21.5% for beef and goat respectively.