Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aqua Culture Development (MoFAD), Moses Anim, has strongly indicated that the sector ministry is poised to ensure responsible fishing practices in marine resources, and they will not condone wrong methods such as Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported (IUU) fishing.
According to him, they are in a new regime and the culture of doing the right thing has come to stay.
Mr. Anim said efforts are being made to clamp down on IUU and enforce the law to ensure discipline, adding that doing the right thing regardless is the way forward to replenish depleted fish stocks for generations to come.
He said the sector ministry continues to advocate against the bad effects of unapproved fishing practices such as light-fishing, using dynamite, monophylaments and unapproved nets; and hoarding premix fuel, crossing the border with premix fuel are major challenges.
He solicited voluntary compliance – saying that until they stop illegal fishing at sea, current and future generations will suffer.
Mr. Anim made this known in an interview with B&FT during the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council’s maiden edition dialogue for artisanal fishers in Tema; an occassion that drew sector players from coastal areas such as the Western, Volta, Central and Greater Accra Regions respectively. The occasion was for members to outline their challenges and the way forward to achieve sustainable growth.
“I want to let everybody know that we will never condone the wrong and we will never be part of the wrong; for posterity, for God and the for country’s sake. We will do the right thing regardless. We are talking about light-fishing and you want to be part of it; forget it. We can’t continue to import US$200million plus worth of fish when increasing aqua-culture, marine and inland production is to do the right thing; that is what we are pursuing,” he said
Mr. Anim noted that government has subsidised premix fuel, outboard motors, nets etc., for a profitable expedition yet none of them pay tax to government; so therefore stakeholders in the fisheries value chain should come together and save the situation as soon as possible, and support government in achieving the sector’s growth and improvement.
Finally, Mr. Anim pleaded with them to put a stop to bad fishing practices and embark on responsible expeditions – which a majority of them support – as a bold measure to rescue depleting fish stocks.
President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, Jojo Solomon, said the engagement put together for members will be an annual event – where members will use the platform so created to voice out their challenges, and together with regulators seek lasting solutions for sustainability and growth.
