Fishing Ban: Gov’t insensitive – MP

Government has been accused of flouting regulations in the fisheries sector.

This comes after the imposition of a month’s ban on fishing of all species of fish except Tuna to curtail the depletion of the country’s fish stock.

The one month closed season spanning 7th August to 4th September 2018 will attract a fine of between $500,000 and $2 million for those who flout the directive.

At a press briefing in Parliament on Tuesday,17 July 2018, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Food and Agriculture Committee, Eric Opoku, described the ban as insensitive.

He explained that the fishes migrate from Axim and head towards Benin and the “journey starts in May, so by August they are in Accra and Keta enclave and as they move along, they spawn, so if you place a ban and say in August don’t fish, what is the guarantee that they will remain in the waters until the end of the ban”.

For him, there is no scientific proof to back claims that the fishermen will get more catch hence the placing of the ban in August and lifting in September.

He said they have engaged the Industrial Trollers’ Association who indicated to them that when the ban was placed in January and February 2018, their losses amounted to $21million indicating that a ban in August will be higher.

He pointed out that they have met with several fishermen and “all along the coast, they (fishermen) are against the ban”.

“The authority to place a ban on fishing is vested in the Fisheries Commission because they have the technical competencies to be able to do that. Now, if it takes a political decision to do it, then we have reasons to doubt whether it is properly informed,” he added.

Speaking to Class FM, Member of Parliament for Odododiodio constituency, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye said the ban will lead to hardships among the fishing communities.

He tells parliamentary correspondent, Ekow Annan that the fishing folks are bracing themselves for a massive demonstration in the coming days.

“My people have said that if the government does not reverse the decision they will demonstrate and they will surely let government know that they are unhappy,” he stated.

He said all the coastal towns from the Western region to the Volta region celebrate their festivals between August and September because “this is the period where it is peak season for fishing. So, this is the period when they make money in order to celebrate their festivals and make money to take care of their families”.

For him, if the ban is “not meant to impoverish these people then we don’t know what it is”.

He said the fishermen do not have a problem with a closed season but “the timing is wrong”.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com