The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development with support from National Fisheries Association of Ghana is set to implement the Closed Season Project which will place a temporary ban on fishing on the country’s sea.
This announcement was made in a forum to deliberate on ways to ensure compliance; in attendance were various Paramount Chiefs and Chief Fishermen in most of the coastal communities in Ghana.
The Closed Season is a project by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission aimed at halting trawling on the country’s sea. The target is to arrest what they describe as depletion of the country’s fish stock.
President of the National Fisheries Association of Ghana, Miltiades Tackie, says thorough consultation has been done since the project which was supposed to be implemented last year was boycotted by fishers.
“After thorough and broad consultation and negotiation with the fishermen, we agreed the inner fishing will take effect from 1st January to 28th February, artisanal and inshore from 15th May to 15th June, industrial trolling 1st August to 30th September, this date was given to us by the fishermen themselves. so we are hopeful we get maximum results,” he stated.
Sector Minister, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, however, noted that those who will flout the directives will be sanctioned.