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A section of the participants.INSERT: Mrs. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye announcing the ban on the season closure
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) and the Fisheries Commission (FC) will close the fishing season from Tuesday, August 7 to Tuesday, September 4 to reduce excessive pressure and overexploitation of fish stocks in Ghana's marine waters.
displacement is part of the effort to regenerate Ghana's rapidly depleting fish stocks and will affect all fleets, including artisbad fisheries (except tuna fleets).
According to scientific research, a fish can lay more than 25,000 eggs during the spawning season. It is the second closed season of the year. The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mrs. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, announced this past Friday at a press conference and stated that it was in August that the fish was consuming food quickly. . , grew up quickly and spawned.
"Each year we catch a large number of fish during the so-called" bumper "season and when we do, we reduce the breeding potential for the next year."
"C & # We have made our stock of pelagic fish over the years using mainly illegal forms of fishing, "she said.
The press conference was attended by the Minister of Information , Dr. Mustapha Adbdul-Hamid, Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Ishmael Ashitey, and Deputy Minister of Defense, Mr. Derick Oduro
Ms. Afoley Quaye stated that the closing season was stipulated in accordance with sections 76 (3) and 84 of the Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 625), to help reduce excessive pressure and overexploitation of fish stocks 19659005] Penalties for fished
According to the Minister, whoever fished during the announced closed season committed an offense and was summarily convicted to a fine of not less than $ 500,000 and not more than $ 2 million in respect of an industrial vessel or semi-industrial local, or 100 penalty units and no more than 500 penalty units in any other case. In addition, any catch, fishing gear or any vessel or combination thereof used in the commission of the offense may be confiscated by the State.
Threats to Livelihoods
Ms. Quaye noted that the mbadive decline of fish threatened livelihoods, traditions, cultures, community survival, national security and Food Safety.
The fishing industry has long been a pillar of the Ghanaian economy, generating annual revenues of more than $ 1 billion and accounting for at least 4.5% of gross domestic product (GDP ) from the country.
an important source of animal protein and livelihood for about 2.9 million people employed directly or indirectly, including their dependents.
"Despite the importance of the sector, overexploitation continues to threaten the productivity and sustainability of the country, while scientific studies indicate the likely collapse of our fisheries sector over the next few years. years if drastic measures are not taken, "said the minister.
Follow-up
Ms. Quaye stated that the Fisheries Commission, academia, universities, civil society organizations and fishermen's badociations should monitor the social impact, Economic and Biological Closure of Fisheries
would report to the Parliament, the Cabinet and the people of Ghana on the impact of the closure of the season and prepare the country for a new closing season in the year next until the stocks are recovered later.
Landings of small pelagic fish by artisbad fishermen were expected to increase from 15,000M in 2017 to 90,000 in 2025, which is the ultimate goal of the policy.
According to a MOFAD directive, security and enforcement agencies must be on standby to ensure a smooth closing season. In this regard, all sectors and fishermen are expected to comply.
Situation
The Minister stated that despite the decline in fish landings, the number of boats in the system continued to increase with more than 13,000 canoes artisbad in the waters of the country currently, when in the year 2000, there were only 6,000 canoes.
LOW Governance
Ms. Quaye said that one of the reasons we entered this crisis was poor and poor governance of the fishing industry.
"Our fisheries governance mechanism has not been able to match and eliminate multi-faceted illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices throughout the country. sector ", she said
. the widespread use of monofilament nets in the maritime sector, trawling in coastal areas reserved for artisbad fishermen and artisbad fishermen; Saiko "deep sea fishing trawlers, involving the sale and transhipment of fish on the high seas between trawlers and canoes."
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