The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Naa Afoley Quaye, has declared the 2018 industrial fishing season opened.
This follows a two-month closed season which commenced in January 2018, with the aim of reducing the excessive pressure and over exploitation of Ghana’s fish stock.
[contextly_sidebar id=”vH5tCsLfTnfEwbrMT9QwSSGtzKQmbjj3″]Mrs. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, together with other top officials of the Ministry, managers of the Tema Fishing Harbour, and other players in the fishing industry, took a vessel inspection tour at the Tema Harbour on Wednesday, to commemorate the end of the season.
Addressing the media, the Minister congratulated the industrial trawlers for observing and complying with the directives on the closed season.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all the industrial trawlers for observing the closed season. I wish to extend the gratitude of his Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo the President to you. He appreciates your acceptance to observe the closed season. He knows that this is going to help to replenish our dwindling fish stock.”
Mrs. Afoley Quaye after inspecting some of the trawler vessels intimated that she was impressed by the significant improvement in the condition of the vessels.
She stated that the Fishing Enforcement Unit Task-force had done a good job to ensure that the trawlers were properly maintained, painted and wash rooms cleaned.
Closed Season
The ‘Closed Season’ was enacted in accordance with sections 76(3) and 84 of the Fisheries Act, 2002(Act 625), by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission.
The objective of the implementation of the closed season, which are in accordance with Ghana’s Fisheries Management Plan (Marine Fisheries Sector, 2015-2019), is to help in reducing the excessive pressure and over exploitation of fish stock.
Owners, operators and masters of industrial trawlers were directed to comply with the declared closed seasons.
Violation of the directive would have attracted fines ranging from US$ 500,000 to US$ 2 million as well as loss of the catch, fishing gear or vessel to the state.
By: citifmonline.com/Ghana