Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Mahama has pledged to exempt artisanal fishermen from government’s closed fishing season.
During closed fishing season, fishing activities are ceased in order to reduce the pressure on stocks when the fishes are reproducing or laying eggs.
Ghana’s closed fishing season is usually from July to August.
Addressing fisherfolks at the Tema Fishing Harbour while on tour, the former President Mahama argued that the impact of artisanal mining on the fishing stock compared to that of industrial fishing trawlers is negligible hence the need to exclude them in order for them to make ends meet.
“We are going to exempt artisanal fishermen from closed season. Those who use canoes to fish will be exempted when it’s closed fishing season so that they can continue working because they are not the ones destroying the sea.”
Mr Mahama also promised to provide the Navy with ships to ward off trawlers from veering into artisanal fishing zones on the sea.
“We will make sure that fishing trawlers don’t come within the exclusive zone. And so we will provide the Navy with ships so that they can patrol and make sure that the exclusive zone where the trawlers are not supposed to come, they don’t come there.”
Source: Kasapafmonline.com