Ghana loses $ 50 million in illegal fishing in 2017

Company News from Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-06-11

A survey of illegal fishing activities, commonly known as "Saiko" on the Ghanaian Ocean, revealed that Ghana lost between $ 40 million and $ 50 million in 2017, which represented 100,000 metric tonnes of fish.

The study was the first comprehensive attempt to estimate the volume and value of fish landed via saiko, which helps to understand the ecological and socio-economic implications of the practice.

Saiko is the local name for illegal and unreported fishing practices in Ghana, where industrial trawlers transfer frozen fish into specially-molded deep-sea canoes. It allows industrial trawlers to effectively steal fish from artisbad fishermen before reselling it. to local communities with a profit.

Currently, saiko is banned by the country's fisheries legislation, resulting in a fine of $ 100,000 to two million dollars. The minimum fine is increased to $ 1 million when catches are of juveniles or use prohibited fishing gear.

The research was conducted by the Environmental Justice Foundation and Hen Mpoano, two environmental non-governmental organizations interested in protecting the country's natural resources and managing them sustainably.

Mr. Kofi Agbogah, director of Hen Mpoano, presented the results of the research on Monday when the report was launched in Accra. He explained that this practice had been transformed into a lucrative industry, 90% of trawlers owned by foreigners; especially the Chinese and Koreans, who deplete fish species, including small pelagics such as sardinella and mackerel, with impunity.

He noted that the activity of saiko during the year had serious consequences for the small-scale fishing sector, which was essential to the country's food security and created more jobs than the latter could to offer.

The 30-page report titled "How the illegal fishing of" Saiko "feeds the collapse of Ghana's fisheries" has led to a better understanding of the activities of the illegal union, which has continued to plunder the country's fisheries resources.

Mr. Agbogah observed that most of these foreigners operated with permits obtained by Ghanaian trawlers and that after successfully exploiting the country's fish stocks, they repatriated the proceeds through exchange offices in their country. country of origin at the expense of local artisbad fishermen.

"Although saiko's activities are widespread, the risk of arrest and punishment is very low, as cases are often settled through" out-of-the-box "out-of-court settlement processes. In addition, most of the industrial vessels engaged in saiko are tied to foreign beneficial owners, which also violates Ghanaian legislation, "said Agbogah.

The report showed that, by combining saiko landings with the official landings reported by the industrial fleet of 67,205 MT, trawlers were estimated to have captured about 167,000 MT of fish in 2017.

This suggests that only 40% of the catches were landed legally and reported to the Fisheries Commission in 2017, despite the presence of observers on several vessels.

Mr. Balertey Gormey, senior manager of the program at Hen Mpoano, said that people authorized to control such illegal fishing practices were not truthful and were often controlled by "big hands" holding positions in the fishing industry. ;authority. .

He added that it was high time for the country to implement fisheries regulations to ensure sustainable management of the fisheries sector.

In her welcome address, Ms. Edna Quansah, Program Officer at the Environmental Justice Foundation, said that the country's fisheries legislation was very clear in terms of fish trans-shipment on the high seas, as stipulated by Law No. 625 of 2002 on fisheries.

She added that transhipment of fish was destroying the fishing sector, including fishing traditions and cultures, increased poverty in coastal communities and the creation of inequalities between artisbad fishermen. .

She said the country was losing between 30 and 50 million Ghanaian cedis each year as a result of illegal fishing and that, if strict measures were not taken, it would cause a socio-economic and ecological disaster.

Ms. Quansah stressed the need for a serious dialogue on the issue with all stakeholders as soon as possible.

The launch attracted key players in the fisheries sector, including the Fisheries Commission, the Ghana Marine Fisheries Law Enforcement Unit, civil society organizations, representatives of the Ministry of Fisheries, Food and Agriculture, the Norwegian Embbady, ​​academia, students and the media.