The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development(MOFAD), Madam Hawa Koomson has warned that the Fisheries Ministry will deal decisively with fishermen found culpable in flouting laws regulating the closed fishing season.
“Fisheries Ministry will burn the canoes and fishing nets of anyone who will flout the directives not to fish during the closed fishing season”. She warned
According to her, the closed season has no bearing on politics but a measure to replenish the fish stock to avert the possible collapse of the fishing industry due to depletion
Speaking to fisher folks at Elimin where she distributed food items including thousands of bags of rice, oil, tomatoes and canned fish to all the nine fishing communities in the Central Region to alleviate their plight as they observe the annual fishing closed season, she underscored the significance of the closed season.
She indicated that her Ministry is willing to empower youth in the fishing communities with skills training to improve their livelihood.
Madam Hawa Koomson disclosed that her Ministry in collaboration with the Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity (GFRA) Livelihood Empowerment Programme is expected to train 8,000 youth hence the MoFAD has provided barbering kits, hair dryers and sewing machines to equip the youth with skills.
“Even though they are fishermen children there is the need to add skills training so that the sea pressure can be reduced to enable the fisheries industry to rebuild the depleted fish stock and promote sustainable fishing practices”. She revealed.
As a result, she appealed to fishermen to do well by observing the one-month closed season and strongly believed the food items could at least support the affected fishmongers and fishermen to be able to cater for their families while urging them to end unregulated fishing activities on the sea after the end of the closed season.
The Chief Fisherman of Elmina, Nana Badu expressed gratitude to the Minister for her laudable performance and contribution to the fishing industry.
He disclosed that the closed Fishing season has come to stay and appealed to fishermen to comport themselves by not doing anything that will send them to jail.
Mynewsgh.com
