Fisheries Ministry moves to curb illegal fishing
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) will construct 15 landing sites at strategic points in coastal communities as part of measures to address the depleting fish stock.
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It has also taken steps to establish community enforcement units at landing sites to enforce fishing regulations in order to curb illegal fishing methods.
The sector Minister, Ms Sherry Ayitey, made this known when she received four vehicles donated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Fisheries enforcement
The vehicles are valued at $140,000 and meant to resource the Fisheries Enforcement Unit (FEU) to monitor the operations of fisher folk.
The donation forms part of USAID’s Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP), an initiative aimed at enhancing enforcement of and compliance with the fisheries law.
Ms Ayitey observed that it was important for stakeholders in the fishing sector to collaborate in order to ensure that education on the fisheries law and the need to avoid illegal fishing methods got to fisher folk at the community level.
“For this reason, the ministry has rolled out massive education through the use of mobile vans. We have already been to the Western and the Central regions and are currently educating those in the Volta Region,” she said.
She said the presentation of the vehicles was timely, since the FEU of MOFAD needed resources to be able to enforce the law.
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Revamp fishing sector
An environmental specialist at USAID, Ghana, Mr Justice Odoi, explained that the donation of the vehicles formed part of the United States government’s commitment to improve fisheries management and strengthen enforcement structures.
He said a revamped fishing sector would enhance food security, boost nutrition for the people and empower people economically.
The Director of MOFAD, Mr Samuel Quaatey, said the use of undersize nets, poisonous chemicals and light for fishing destroyed the fortunes of the fishing industry.
He, therefore, called on chief fishermen and other opinion leaders to assist MOFAD to weed out the bad lot in the system.