Adina (VR)-Ghana, Aug. 4, GNA – Nana Joojo Solomon, acting President, Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), has called on Volta fishers to make more conscious efforts to protect the region’s reputation as “hub of sustainable fishing.”
He said the Volta Region had remained an example of good and sustainable fishing.
“Thus, the need for key stakeholders in the region to work hard to first, protect that reputation and, contribute to improving food security, nutrition and livelihoods of smallholder fishers and other users of the resource,” Nana Solomon said.
Nana Solomon was speaking at a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) and Fisheries Commission in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at Adina, Ketu South to symbolically unlock the sea to mark the end of the 2023 fishing closed season for artisanal and inshore fleets.
The MoFAD in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission implemented the closed fishing season for artisanal and inshore fleets from July 01 to July 31 as sustainable fisheries management strategy.
During the closed season, a team from the Fishing Enforcement Unit (FEU), Marine Headquarters witnessed some defiant fishers arrive in their canoe with a catch of fish at Abeliakope, Aflao but fled upon seeing the team.
The team, however, arrested some three persons including Mr Seth Abelia, Assembly member for the area who after his release on bail, spoke to the Ghana News Agency saying, he went to the beach because words reached him that some fishers were set to fish and that he is a head teacher of a school and could not have been part of the offending fishers.
The GNCFC acting President said: “I am surprised at the behaviour of just few fishers recently, marring the good reputation of the region. Volta has always been our example of good and sustainable fishing.”
He warned fellow fishers to make the one-month sacrifice of fishing ban worthwhile by not taking “forbidden things” into the sea stressing, it was important to desist from Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing to ensure the sustainability of the fishery industry.
Nana Solomon complained about irregularity, insufficiency and hoarding by non-fishers of premix fuel and called on politicians to steer clear of the highly subsidised product meant for use by fishers and not politicize it.
Mr Stephen Adjokatcher, acting President, Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association who said members had put an end to ‘saiko’ (illegal fish trans-shipments) on Ghana’s sea, suggested that in future, premix fuel should be made available at the event so fishers could access it and go for fishing just after the lifting of the ban.
