Business News of Monday, 13 September 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2021-09-13
Mavis Hawa Koomson, Minster for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development
• Hawa Koomson has vowed to clamp down on illegal fishing activities
• Fisherfolk in Elmina had been engaging in light fishing during the closing season
• Hawa Koomson says person found culpable will be arrested and prosecute
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has vowed to clamp down on fisherfolk engaging in illegal fishing along coastal areas.
This comes after fishermen at Elmina continued to engage in light fishing on water bodies during the closed season for fishing.
Addressing journalists at the Minister’s Press Briefing on Sunday September 12, the sector minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson assured she will deal with illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing practices in Ghana’s territorial waters.
“The Ministry in collaboration with the relevant security agencies has intensified enforcement activities including land and sea patrols to ensure that all fisherfolk engaging in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities are arrested.” Hawa Koomson cautioned.
The Minister added that, “We will arrest and prosecute all those who break the laws. As I indicated during my vetting, I will enforce all the laws concerning fishing to ensure that we leave a sustainable and transformed fishing sector for future generations.”
Hawa Koomson said that some light fishing equipment have so far been seized at Tema, Sekondi, Ammisah Anor, and Hini after the closed season was opened.