Fishing Ban: Minority bribing us to demonstrate – Fishermen

Fishermen at Chorkor and its environs in the Greater Accra Region, have accused the Minority in Parliament of bribing their colleague fisherfolk to demonstrate against government’s one-month ban on fishing.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture imposed the ban on fishing effective August 7 to September 4 this year to help increase fish stock.

Some fisherfolk have kicked against the directive and have threatened to damn the consequences and fish during the closed season.

The Minority in Parliament led by former youth and sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye, said on Tuesday, 17 July 2018 that if government does not rescind its decision, the Minority in solidarity with the fisherfolk will march to the Jubilee House.

But fishermen at Chorkor, who say they support the ban as one of the measures to curtail illegal fishing, have asked the Minority to stay out of their business because they did nothing to help them when they were in power.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, 18 July 2018, the spokesperson for the fishermen at Chorkor, Nii Klottey, said: “Yesterday, the Minority in Parliament raised an issue that we fishermen are backing them and they will go on a demonstration with us. It is not true, they are lying. They’ve been in power for eight years, ask them, which kind of support did they give to us fishermen? We went on demonstrations and they did not even listen to us when they were in power. Now somebody has come to power and the person says she is there for us 24/7 and now we are backing you for a demonstration?

“Yesterday a friend called me from Ada that they’ve brought money there to hire them to demonstrate against the minister, but we the fishermen at Chorkor and its environs say that we’re not in support but we’re supporting the decision of government and the minister. I don’t think even one month is enough because of the problems we are facing now.”

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