No fishing from May 15 – Govt

• Posted on April 10, 2019
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

Government has announced dates for the commencement of its ban on fishing in Ghana’s waters.

The ban which was to be implemented last August and September was suspended due to a massive outcry from the country’s fisher folks.

Dubbed ‘close season’, the ban according to the fisheries ministry was to save some species of fishes such as mackerel, anchovies, and others that are going into extinction in the country’s waters due to poor fishing practices.

The ministry further explained it would also generally allow fishes, in general, to breed thereby increasing their stock to and sustain corresponding bumper harvest for the fishermen.

Research cited by the Ministry last year contends that the August-September period is the best time that the fishes breed in larger quantities and disturbing the breeding cycle would mean depleting fish stock as even fingerlings get trapped by fishermen during what they call their bumper season which is in August and September.

Announcing the new dates Wednesday at a press conference in Accra, the fisheries minister Elizabeth Afoley Quaye said after extensive consultation and stakeholder engagement, 15 May and 15 June have been agreed as the period for inshore and artisanal fishermen to do their close season.

The industrial trawlers, she further observed also agreed to do theirs from the 1 August to 30 September with the Tuna sector having had their close season already from the 1 January to the end of February.

The close season law was passed in 2002 and it is mandatory for the fisheries sector to observe it.