Closed Fishing Season: Offenders to pay $2 million - Minister

Fishermen caught fishing during the closed season will be fined between $500,000 and $2 million, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has said.

The caution comes as government announced a one-month ban on fishing of all species of fish except Tuna.

The Ministry announced the closed season on Friday, 13 July 2018 as part of measures to ensure stock recovery to curtail the depletion of Ghana's fish stock.

Sector Minister Elizabeth Afoley Quaye announced that the one-month closed season spanning 7th August to 4th September 2018 will affect all fleet and government will ensure strict compliance.

She said: “It is needful that people are sanctioned when they don’t comply with the law but that is not the interest of government, our duty is to make people comply voluntarily to the closed season.”

Talking about sanctions, Ms Quaye said: “A person who engages in fishing during a closed season declared, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than $500,000 and not more than $2million in respect of a local industrial or semi-industrial vessel or 100 penalty units and not more than 500 penalty units in any other case and in addition, any catch, fishing gear or vessel or any combination of them used in the commission of the offence maybe forfeited to the state.”