Government bans fishing in Ghana

The Government has placed a one-month ban on all fishing activities along the country’s coasts. The wholesale ban takes effect August 2018.

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.

In recent times, fishermen have complained about declining fish catches after long hours on the sea. The famed August bumper catches are no more.

The development has been blamed on improper fishing methods and nets which do not spare fingerlings.

The introduction of bigger vessels that haul in a lot of fish at a time, instead of the smaller boats that were used in the past has also been cited. About 85 fishing trawlers are going to be affected by this directive.

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Elisabeth Afoley Quaye said a statement will be issued next week to address the concerns of fishermen who might be affected by the ban.