We’re Working With Agencies For Safer Maritime Space - Hawa Koomson

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development says it is working with all relevant agencies to ensure that the nation’s maritime space is safer and secure.

Speaking in reference to pirate attacks on some Ghanaian vessels recently, the sector Minister, Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, described the situation as worrying and added that if the needed measures were not taken, it could escalate into an uncontrollable situation.

Mrs Koomson said this when she met the Omanhen of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, as part of her working visit to Cape Coast.

She said the country could not afford to sit back and watch its sea become a hub for unwarranted attacks.

Mrs Koomson indicated part of efforts to deal with the situation was to empower security persons on the seas, adding that efforts would be made to secure the maritime space.

She called for calm because the right steps were in place to restore safety.

The minister called on the Omanhen to support the fight against illegal fishing.

Illegal fishing

For his part, Osabarima Atta acknowledged the challenges that fisherfolk faced and said he was ever ready to support the fight against illegal fishing.

“The fishing industry is what sustains our fisherfolk but they have been met with so many problems both onshore and on the seas.”

The Omanhen of Oguaa urged the minister to engage the fisherfolk on the steps being taken to combat the challenges, stressing that their inputs were key to finding solutions.

He lauded the minister’s zeal and urged her to boldly lead the fight to restore sanity on the country’s seas.

Stakeholders forum

Mrs Koomson later addressed a forum of fishermen, fish mongers and other stakeholders in the fisheries sector to discuss ways to make the sector better.

She gave the assurance that the government would fairly and firmly enforce all fisheries laws and regulations to ensure illegalities were reduced significantly.

Reapply for licences

As part of the measures, the minister said all fishing trawlers in the country’s waters had been asked to reapply for permit for their operations.

That, Mrs Koomson said, was to ensure proper scrutiny as part of measures to clamp down on illegal fishing activities and to bring sanity into the fisheries sector.

The move would also help to trace vessels that were operating illegally, she said, adding that those found culpable would not have such licences renewed.

She expressed concern over the use of unlawful fishing practices such as light fishing, the transhipment of fish at sea popularly known as Saiko, the use of harmful chemicals such as DDT, washing powder and dynamite which she noted had caused the country’s fishery resources to deplete at a worrisome pace and affected the livelihoods of many in the coastal communities.

Roadmap

Mrs Koomson mentioned some of the measures the government had put in place to sanitise the sector.One is the acquisition of logistics to ensure the fight against illegal fishing in the country was reduced.

They included research vessel and equipment that would detect fishes caught using unapproved fishing methods, including monofilament nets, lights and other chemicals that had the tendency of depleting the country’s fish stock.

“We are working in consonance with fisheries laws to reduce activities of illegal fishing. We are not joking. This time the laws will work and anyone found to be engaged in any form of illegality on the sea will be dealt with according to the law,” Mrs Koomson warned.

Aquaculture

Mrs Koomson also advised the fishermen to venture into aquaculture to support their efforts at the traditional sources, the sea and rivers.

Saiko

Some of the participants at the forum called for stringent measures to check the activities of trawlers at sea.

They indicated that governments had over the years failed artisanal fishermen by refusing to deal firmly with the issue of Saiko and asked the ministry to “walk the talk” in its promises of dealing with Saiko.

Outboard motors

Some participants at the engagement called on the sector minister to expedite action to ensure that they received outboard motors they had paid for and were yet to receive.

The minister, in her response, said the government had already secured 240 outboard motors with plans underway to secure more for distribution to fishermen who had made payments.

She also pledged to support fish processors with micro loans to expand their businesses.