Elmina fishermen will continue to observe the closure as a punishment – Hawa Koomson

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson said Elmina fishermen in the central region will continue to observe the closed season despite the reopening of the sea for artisanal and coastal fleets.

In an interview with JoyNews After the reopening ceremony at Sekondi fishing port on Saturday, Ms Koomson explained that the decision is to punish fishermen for stopping illegal fishing activities.

The minister further said that since fishermen refused to accept her campaign against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities during her visit on Tuesday, June 27, it is important that her outfit keeps them under control for some time.

“After my presentation on Tuesday they said I said they should stop the Saiko and the light fishing they weren’t happy with and so I should reverse that statement and said no. was not ready and so they said if I didn’t go back I had to take back the items I had brought for them and I did ”.

“Now they are begging, they have come to apologize, I am told that they had a press conference, one of the chief fishermen is there to apologize but we still have to punish them for that I will not hide it “, she added.

She noted that fishermen will be denied the pre-mixed fuel and other logistics they need from the government for their fishing expedition for a period of time until they are willing to comply with the directive. on legal fishing.

Best national fisherman 2019, Joseph Hemans Asmah, who represented the fishing community in Elmina, called on the sector minister to temper justice with leniency.

He told JoyNews that the people involved are not fishermen but people he described as “boy gurus”.

“The fishermen were sitting patiently waiting to hear from the minister, but the guru boys did, so I have to be here and apologize.

“If the woman says she won’t give us premix, where will we get premix?” If the woman says she won’t give us outboard motors at a check price, where are we going to find some to buy? Whenever we are in need and we go there and she closes her door on us, those who did will not feel it, ”he said.