Prohibition of fishing: Akufo-Addo government insensitive to the poor – Vanderpuye

General News on Friday, April 12, 2019

Source: X Y Z

2019-04-12

Odododiodoo MP, Mr. Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, criticized the government over an impending ban on fishing.

The fishing ban this season officially starts on May 15 and ends on June 15, 2019. For industrial trawlers, the ban takes effect from August 1 to September 30. The ban on tuna fishing has already been observed from 1 January to 28 February.

According to Fisheries Minister Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, who said the decision was made in collaboration with all key stakeholders who committed themselves to comply and help enforce the guidelines.

Nicknamed "the closing season", the Ministry of Fisheries prohibits saving certain species of fish such as mackerel, anchovies and other endangered species in the country's waters due to poor fishing practices.

Hundreds of fishermen have risen up against the ban along the coastline of the Greater Accra region. They say that the government's decision will deny them their "daily bread" because they have no other source of livelihood when the ban is applied.

But in an interview with Kwame Minkah on Ete Sen on Radio XYZ 93.1, Lantey Vanderpuye said that many of his constituents were fishermen, accusing the government of the ban on fishing.

"This government is not sensitive to the suffering of the poor of this country," Vanderpuye said, while expressing his concerns about implementing the ban without thorough consultation.

The former Sports Minister said that his constituents would be deprived of their livelihoods without registering fishermen in another program allowing them to feed their families.

At a press conference, Fisheries Minister Elizabeth Afoley Quaye revealed that her team had conducted extensive consultation with coastal and artisbad fishermen before announcing the date of the ban on the Peach.

However, Mr. Vanderpuye disagreed, saying that if the government had heard them well, they would not have raised any issues with the government's decision.

"This government does things anyway … They do not listen to anyone and it is very serious," he told the fisheries minister.

Mr Vanderpuye said that if he succeeded, he would ask the fishermen of Ada, Dixcove and Cape Point to challenge the ban so they could feed their families.

Last year, an attempt to enforce the ban came back against us. He was greeted by angry outbursts and open threats from various fishing groups who described the timing of August and September as worrying. They said it would affect their expected income during the exceptional season.

The ban usually aims to allow fish, in general, to reproduce, thus increasing their stock in order to support the local fishing industry.

The low season law was pbaded in 2002 and it is mandatory for the fishing industry to respect it.