Only three vessels licensed to fish in Ghanaian waters

Accra, June 26, GNA - Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, on Thursday told Parliament that between January 2005, to December 2007, only three vessels were licensed to fish in Ghana's territorial waters. "Their operations have brought about an increase in the work of the canneries directly and contributed an amount of 162,265.00 Ghana cedis to the Ministry's internally generated funds earnings," she explained. Mrs Asmah was responding to a question on how many foreign fishing vessels have been licensed by the Ministry between January 2005, to December 2007, to fish in Ghana's territorial waters and how much was realized from their license fees.

She said the Ministry and the Fisheries Act do not license foreign vessels to fish in the country's waters.

Mrs Asmah said after due consideration of a request by the canneries, the Pioneer Food Company, a Ghanaian registered company in Tema was given permit to import three tuna fishing vessels to augment the supply of raw materials to their canneries with the option of providing quantities of fresh tuna to a company, Myroc Limited. "Sometime in 2007 when the demand for processed canned tuna and tuna products got to its peak, the tuna canneries decided to increase their fresh tuna processing facilities in order to meet the market demand for processed canned tuna for both the domestic and export markets."

Mrs. Asmah said since the supply of fresh tuna from "our water was not sufficient to satisfy the demand of the canneries, they approached the Ministry with a request for license to import tuna vessels to enable them fish for fresh tuna to feed their canneries to increase the supply for fresh tuna and ensure regular supply to their canneries." "Mr Speaker, this intervention has enabled Pioneer Food Company, to add another production line to its operations."