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Company News of Friday, February 8, 2019
Source: dailyguideafrica.com
2019-02-08
Minister of Fisheries Development and Aquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye
THE DEPARTMENT of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission, will close the artisbad fishing season from Wednesday, May 15, 2019 to Saturday, June 15, 2019.
The decision aims to reduce overexploitation of fish stocks in Ghana's marine waters. In addition, it is part of the measures to rebuild Ghana's fish stocks, which are rapidly depleting.
According to scientific research, a fish can lay more than 25,000 eggs during the spawning period. Therefore, if the fish are left for this period, the stocks will increase considerably.
This will be the second closing season of the year. The first was implemented by the Commission de la Pêche from January to February for the only tuna fleets. The third shutdown season for industrial trawlers is scheduled to start from July to August this year.
Before the agreement on this calendar for the closure of the fishing season, the representatives of the fishermen have changed schedule.
Canoe fishermen gave three different deadlines before agreeing on the current schedule for issuing a news release.
In 2018, the closing season was scheduled to take place in August, but was later postponed until 2019 due to poor preparation by the fishermen.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister Elizabeth Afoley Quaye decided, in accordance with an agreement with all stakeholders, to set a new schedule for the closing season last Tuesday, on the occasion of a stakeholder engagement in Tema.
The meeting on the implementation of the closure of the 2019 season for all fleets was attended by participants from the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen's Council (GNCFC), the Parliamentary Special Committee on Food, the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans. agriculture and cocoa, traditional chiefs and NAFAG, among others.
The area minister, who was concerned about the lag time of the fishermen, indicated that the closed season was stipulated in accordance with sections 76 (3) and 84 of the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625 ), with the aim of helping to reduce pressure and overexploitation of fish stocks.
According to her, anyone caught fishing during the closed season that had been announced had committed an offense and was liable to a summary fine.
She noted that the mbadive decline of fish threatened livelihoods, traditions, culture, community survival, national security and food security.
The minister said that, despite the importance of the sector, over-exploitation continues to threaten the productivity and sustainability of the country's fisheries.
She explained that the government appreciated the fishermen of the country, saying that "fishing is a very important activity and that it is therefore necessary to manage the fishery resources in a sustainable way for future generations to benefit".
For his part, the president of the National Association of Fishermen of Ghana (NAFAG), Flt. Lieutenant Militiades G. Tackey (rtd) asked the Minister to suspend the fuel before blending during the shutdown period to discourage the fishery.
The president of the badociation also advised its members to give up illegal fishing.
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