Marine Police arrest ‘notorious vessel’ over juvenile fishing

The Marine Police in Takoradi on Saturday arrested for the second time, a fishing vessel, Lu Rong Yuan Yu 956, said to be notorious for netting juvenile fish and using prohibited undersized mesh.

The Ghanaian flagged vessel with all-Chinese executives was arrested at about 8am some 16 nautical norths in Sekondi waters and brought into the Takoradi Port.

Upon arrest, there were five Chinese executives and a large number of Ghanaian labourers aboard.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Iddi Seidu, Director of the Marine Police who briefed Graphic Online about the arrest, said the same vessel was arrested last year and taken to court, following which the executives pleaded guilty at an arbitration at the Fisheries Commission and were slapped with a one million dollar fine.

DCOP Iddi Seidu said the Fisheries law permits offending vessels to ask for out of court arbitration which option the executives opted for.

He said after pleading guilty, the vessel failed to pay the fine while the executives never attended court except their lawyers.

He expressed surprise that the same vessel was back committing the very crime for which it was punished.

“They will be taken to court for the appropriate sanctions”, he said.