Fishermen Demand ?66.6m From Tresspassing Trawler

The Ghana National Association of Canoe Fishermen (GNACF) is demanding ?66,683,925,000 from operators of MV Sujin, a fishing trawler, which is alleged to have entered into the 30-metre exclusive zone and allegedly destroyed fishing nets.

The amount represents cost of sets of submerging octopusy nets that were destroyed at Keta.

Information stumbled suggests that the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is investigating the allegation of destruction of the nets by the trawler.

Mr. Seth Agbenu, Secretary of the Volta Regional branch of the GNACF, narrating their story said that following the violation of fisheries laws in which some trawlers enter into the 30-metre zone and in fishing destroy nets belonging to local fishermen surveillance was kept on MV Sujin, which he alleged flouted the laws at Denu with impunity.

On the 17th of August, this year, MV Sujin allegedly went to Keta to fish in the 30-metre exclusive zone.

In the course the vessel reportedly destroyed several metres of fishing nets and went away.

The fishermen whose nets the vessel allegedly destroyed sent a petition to the Fisheries Department at the ministry.

An investigation team was constituted, calling on the stakeholders to meet at its Osu offices.

According to Mr. Agbenu, the trawler flouted the fisheries laws, especially in the night and sometimes throw back into the sea juvenile fish that they catch.

They, he said, deplete the sea of juvenile fish, which could grow into adults.

Sources close to the owner of the vessel, however alleged that on the day in question, the vessel in distress went to anchor some distance from the beach at Keta and took stock of engine oil.

According to him, a certain Park, managing director of the Keta Area Anchory Manufacturing Company at Keta, approached him at Tema and allegedly demanded $10,000 as costs of nets his vessel had destroyed.

According to him, he refused even though the said Park produced pictures of the trawler at sea.

He was, therefore, surprised when the Fisheries Department of the MOFA summoned them for an investigation into the allegation.

The acting managing director of Fisheries Department, Mr. G. H. Anyane, when reached, admitted that his outfit is investigating the issue.