Fishermen urged to comply with Fisheries Law

Dixcove (W/R) Dec. 21 - GNA - Mr. Joseph Dofoyena, Ahanta West District Chief Executive, on Tuesday called on fishermen to operate within the Fisheries Law to enable the fisheries industry to develop as expected.

He made the call at a public forum organized by the Dixcove-based Fisheries Co-Management Forum at Dixcove.

Mr. Dofoyena said the Fisheries Law was a blueprint for the development of the fisheries industry and should be complied with.

He said illegal fishing methods and practices undermined efforts of the government to develop the industry into a viable sector of the economy.

Mr. Dofoyena said low quantity of fish caught by fishermen not only affected their well-being but also the revenue that the District Assembly derived from the fisheries sector.

Fishermen should, therefore, voluntarily work within the Fisheries Law for their mutual benefit as well as that of the District Assembly, he said.

Mr. Alex Saaba, Deputy Western Regional Director of the Fisheries Commission, said fish was a natural resource and should be exploited sustainably.

He urged fishermen not to use light, dynamite and unapproved nets for fishing as these practices depleted the country’s fisheries resources.

Mr. Isaac Simons Bassaw, Secretary of the Forum, spoke of the determination of the Forum to stop the use of illegal fishing methods in the area.