Ghana escapes fish export ban

Outgoing Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has disclosed that Ghana was on the verge of being banned by the International Commission Conservation of Atlantics Tuna, European Union (EU) and the United States as a result of unorthodox fishing in the country.

According to Mr. Nayon Bilijo, “The European Union, for example, threatened to ban the importation of fish and fish products from Ghana as part of global fight because of the use of agro-chemicals in fishing.”

The minister noted that Ghana engaged in dialogue from 2010 to 2012 to address the problems confronting the local fishing industry.

Mr. Nayon Bilijo, who made this known during the inauguration of GHAVIE Shrimps Pilot Project at Ada-Foah in the Greater Accra Region, said the International Commission Conservation of Atlantics Tuna, EU and US rescinded their decision because of government’s fight against the unorthodox fishing practices, which have so far yielded a lot of dividends.

GHAVIE Company Limited is a Ghanaian and Vietnamese partnership. It is the first shrimps farming project on the Africa continent with the capacity to produce 15 million shrimp post larvae per month and create 2,000 jobs for Ghanaians within a period of five years.

The fisheries minister noted that the use of unorthodox fishing methods had negatively affected the industry.

He mentioned that the Fish Health Unit would continue to discourage the use of chemicals and fishing with light along the coast in the country in order to create jobs.

Nene Abraham Kabu Akuoko, Paramount Chief of the Ada Traditional Area, who was the chairman for the occasion, appealed to government to continue to bring in investors that would be ready to create job opportunities for the youth in his area.

The traditional area has abundant natural resources, he said, and called for partnership that would prevent the migration of the youth.

He also promised to release adequate lands for investment ventures.