Fishermen arrested for buying fish on high seas

Seven more fishermen have been arrested for allegedly buying fish from a foreign vessel on the high seas, in contravention of the law.

The fishermen, led by Kofi Bonzie, were arrested by the Marine Police Unit of the Ghana Police Service about 2.2 nautical miles off the coast of Axim at 3:45 p.m. last Saturday during routine sea patrols.

At the time of the arrest, the fishermen, who were in possession of more than 978 huge slabs of fish, were transporting the fish from Axim to Apam.

The latest arrest brings to 17 the number of fishermen who have been arrested by the Marine Police in less than a day for allegedly buying fish from foreign vessel on the high seas with the view to selling the fish onshore.

The boat, which was carrying the fish, had the inscription, Ewyie ne asem, and is owned by Clifford Amoako, aka Bro Alex, a resident of Apam in the Central Region.

Measures 

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Director of Marine at the Ports and Railways in Takoradi, Chief Superintendent Mr Samuel Owusu-Berko, said the unit would intensify its day and night patrols to aggressively pursue offenders.

 He said the practice of buying fish at sea fast depleted the county’s fish stock and must not be allowed to flourish.

“The only time people who go to sea have to return to the shore with fish is when they go with their fishing gear but not to sail and buy the fish that is illegally caught and bring it to the shore,” he said.

 He said the unit would continue to pursue people who engaged in those illegalities at sea, including those who continued to use unauthorised fishing methods such as light fishing, smaller size net to catch fingerlings, among others.

Preventive measure

Other preventive measures being deployed by the unit, C/Supt Owusu-Berko said, included carrying out various sensitisation and educative programmes in fishing communities, aimed at educating fishermen on some of the offences inherent in the fishing industry.