We’ll continue to monitor, protect fisheries sector – Minister
The Minister for Fisheries, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye , has reiterated government’s commitment to protect the marine resources of the country.
She stressed that “ we remain resolute to continue and sustain our monitoring activities to protect the fisheries sector which is critical to the economy.”
She made thisdeclaration in an interview with journalists at the Western Naval Command (WNC)at Sekondi yesterday, after she led a team comprising the Navy, Fisheries Commission, Fisheries Enforcement Unit (FEU) and Marine Police to conduct a special operation along the western frontiers, last night.
She was accompanied by the Head, Fisheries Monitoring Control and Surveillance Department (MCSD), Alex Sabah and Emmanuel Amevor also from MSCD,Tema.
The exercise followed similar one the Fisheries Ministry conducted at the Eastern Naval Command in Tema, on Saturday.
Although, she revealed that the team met some fishers conducting their activities in accordance with the fisheries regulations,she reiteratedthat “we will continue with the monitoringexercises as we did with the EasternNaval Command to ensure sanity in the fisheries sector and also protect the marine resources.”
Ms Quaye said that the exercise at Ghana’s western frontiers revealed that canoe fishers were complying with the laws and that there were no infraction with the use of light and also SAIKO fishing where trawlers traded smallfishes(discarded fish also known as LOGOS) with canoes, even without nets.
The Minister added that the team encountered a trawlers flying Ivorian and Chinese flags, but, later, the Command at the WNC confirmed that the crew had permission to visit its drydock.
Ms Quaye said, the fisher community had recongnised that the closed season which began in earnest, this year, had been beneficial to stakeholders, which hitherto threatened fingerlings population, and reiterated that “we will continue each year and together, we will sustain the fisheries and marine resources.”
The minster told the journalists that fishers, who received subsidised premix fuel to work for the economy of the country, rather, fill their generator which provide light that they used to catch fingerlings and also destroy the young population, which was vital to the integrity and growth of the sector.
She continued “As part of international standards fishing vessel are to dock at the ports for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to assess their catch and also excise taxes for the state But, we know that some of them run away to other countries to sell their catch.”
The Minister noted that the energy in patrols in Ghana’ s waters against fisheries infractions had gone down and explained that the special operations aimed at re-energising the control and surveillance unit and also beef-up enforcement to send signals to offenders that “ we will not relent on efforts to prosecute them.”
Ms Quaye argued that, although, some fishers lay claim to their heritage from the sea, they also need to ensure best practices within the marine business.
Pic Ms Quaye in an interview with journalists after special operations with the WNC.Second,left is Head of MCSD, Alex Sabah.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, SEKONDI NAVAL BASE