Fisheries Commission orders one-month closed season for industrial trawlers

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) has instituted a one month closed season for industrial trawlers which started last Tuesday November 1. The closed season forms part of management measures contained in a National Marine Fisheries Management Plan (http://www.crc.uri.edu/download) developed by the ministry.

Currently at the Tema and Sekondi fishing harbour, the trawlers are seen anchored at the anchorages due to the closed season, a measure which according to the ministry, will help rebuild the depleted fish stocks.

Speaking to Naval Captain Emmanuel Kwafo, the National Coordinator of Fisheries Law Enforcement, he said Ghana has about sixty trawlers, none of which is to operate in Ghanaian waters during the closed season.

“Industrial trawlers with foreign licenses can however go to fish in the countries whose licensed that they have obtained,” he explained.

The closed season directive is limited to only industrial fleets; the canoe and semi-industrials ones are not affected. Interestingly, a whole new business is developing quickly by the canoes, taxing crew to and fro the anchored ships. The Ghana Port Authority is also happy by collecting anchoring fees and other associated new businesses.

Meanwhile Captain Kwafo commended the Ada clam fishers for culturally observing three months of closed season every year to build the fish stock. He appealed to the local fishermen to quickly call the naval monitoring team in case they should come across any trawler operating in the Ghana territorial waters during this closed season.

Credit: Noah Dameh