Illegal Fishing Culprits to be Punished

Henceforth persons involved in illegal fishing activities will no longer escape the clutches of the law, this is in the indication of Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo.

According to him, illegal fishing activities continue to negatively impact Ghana’s fishing industry.

The development is reported to have reached alarming proportions as the country spends millions of cedis to address the impact of the menace.

The defiance comes despite several warnings by the Fisheries Ministry to deal with culprits of illegal fishing.

The illegal methods include the use of dynamite, detergents as well as the use of unprescribed fishing nets.

Speaking at a conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment, Yaw Osafo Marfo bemoaned the dwindling fish stock in the sea, resulting from the use of such methods.

“It is important that we all realize that one of the most important industries that we have in Ghana is the fishing industry, it is threatened with the fish stock dwindling and we must work to stop it”.

He further challenged all stake holders of the sea to abide by the rules of the Fisheries Ministry.

“We know the causes of what is happening, people are using wrong nets to fish, people are using chemicals to fish, people are using lights to fish and these are all kinds of unregulated fishing methods which are not right and since those breaking these rules live amongst us, we cannot pretend that we do not know them, so let us together resolve this matter”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Fisheries, Francis Kingsley Ato Cudjo, has stated that government will employ the use of drones and other technology to monitor the activities of the sea.

“We are trying to introduce drones and even helicopters to monitor the activities of the vessels when they are on Ghanaian water so that we can arrest, prosecute and punish offenders of the sea”.

Source: Citibusinessnews