The Ministry of Fisheries has denied reports that foreign vessels are pair trawling in the country’s territorial waters, stressing that those vessels are Ghanaian owned. The sector minister, Mrs. Gladys Asmah disclosed this to journalists in Accra when she reacted to a statement by the Chief of Naval Staff, Real Admiral ARS Nuno, that large numbers of foreign vessels are engaging in pair trawling and the Navy cannot stop the practice.
Mrs. Asmah denied the Ministry ever giving license to any foreign vessel to pair trawl, but said only four local companies were given license in 2000, before the establishment of the Ministry, to use the method as an experiment for study of its effect. She said after the experiment period, the companies petitioned the Ministry to be given more time, for them to settle bank loans used in purchasing the vessels.
The Minister pointed out that foreigners on board the vessels should not be misconstrued as pair trawling, since they are part of the crew employed due to lack of the required expertise in Ghana. Describing the claim by the Navy as unfortunate, Mrs. Asmah said the Ministry has paid millions of cedis to the Navy to conduct surveillance and arrest perpetrators. She said the ban on pair trawling is still pending and the ministry will not encourage such practice to harm the country’s fishing industry.
