Lift ban on fishing – Edina Chief to government

The Omanhene of Edina Traditional Area, Nana Kodwo Conduah IV, has called on the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture to immediately lift the ban placed on fishing activities by the government.

According to Nana Conduah IV, the ban is in breach of an earlier agreement the ministry struck with the fishermen to ban fishing from May to June which has already been complied with by the fishermen.

He said the fishermen are perplexed by the sudden turn of event by the ministry as July-September is their bumper season and it will be disastrous for the government to place another after the April-May ban.

“It’s not just my community, but all others. It’s only fair that the fisher folks were involved in such decision making. We can’t take this and don’t know how to survive in this closed season,” the chief stated at the first general meeting of the Central Regional House of Chiefs in Cape Coast.

The chief said the directive will render the fisher folks poor, dispelling rumours that August is the time when fishes multiply.

The directive from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) will affect all industrial trawlers in the country.

The objectives of the implementation of ban are in keeping with Ghana’s Fisheries Management Plan and to help in reducing the excessive pressure and over exploitation of fish stocks.

The Control and Surveillance at the Fisheries Commission, Navy, Marine Police and the Fisheries Enforcement Unit will conduct regular patrols on Ghana’s waters to ensure adherence to the directive.