Crack down on illegal fishing yields revenue 

The crackdown on illegal fishing activities by the Fisheries Commission and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has yielded more than GH¢13,000.00. 

The amount accrued from fines imposed on 100 fishermen prosecuted out of over 200 perpetrators arrested under the implementation of the West Africa Regional Fisheries Programme, WARFP. 

The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, West Africa Regional Fisheries Programme, Ghana, Michael Dawutey who disclosed this to the GNA said six thousand four hundred and thirty -eight cedis out of the figure has been paid into the Fisheries Development Fund.  He added that 3,000 monofilament nets, 600 generators and light accessories, as well as 120,000 metric tonnes of fish were also confiscated. 

The $53 million Fisheries Programme commenced in 2012 in Ghana with the aim of enhancing  sustainable management of the country’s fish and aquaculture resources, as well as reducing illegal fishing. 

Mr Dawutey, indicated that a total of 76 trawlers were licensed during the fourth quarter of 2017, above the agreed 74 expected to be registered to meet the modalities of the programme. 

He explained that there is the need to reduce the number of trawlers operating in Ghana’s fishing area since there are more vessels chasing fewer fish in the sea. 

He however stated that MOFAD is considering the adoption of a quota system to reduce the fishing effort to sustainably manage Ghana’s fisheries resources. 

He stated that the quota system would ensure that a vessel could not catch more than a given number of fishes at a particular time. 

Mr Dawutey said the programme achieved a 100 per cent registration of 123 industrial and semi-industrial fishing vessels. 

Twenty-nine local tuna vessels were licensed while 14,140 canoes were registered with about 71 per cent of the number receiving embossments. 

He further indicated that there is a 100 per cent Vessel Monitoring System of industrial trawlers at the Tema, Takoradi and the Ghana Navy head office.  

Source: GNA
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