Newly Constituted Fisheries Commission Board Tasked To End Illegal Fishing

Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has tasked the newly constituted governing board of the Fisheries Commission to find a lasting solution to the unending illegal fishing menace facing the country.

She said Ghana risked being sanctioned by the European Union (EU) if drastic measures were not implemented to curb the trend.

Ghana loses between US$40 and US$50 million annually through illegal fishing, popularly known as “saiko”.

Mrs Koomson, during the inauguration of the new board in Accra on Thursday, noted that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing remained a major challenge for the sector.

She, therefore, charged members to institute measures to help address the menace.

The 11-member governing board is chaired by Professor Francis K. E. Nunoo, the Head of the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana.

Other members include Dr Michael Arthur-Dadzie, Esq., Director, Fisheries Commission; Mr Kofi Asumadu Apenteng, Ministry of Transport; Commodore Godwin Livinus Bessing from the Defence Ministry; Mrs Lydia I. Essuah, Ministry of Environment and Nana Jojo Solomon, Ghana Marine Fishing Officers Association.

The rest are; Dr Ruby Asmah, Water Research Institute; Mr Wilson Kwabena Darkwah, Ghana Irrigation Development Authority; Mr Stephen Adjokatcher, National Fisheries Association (Artisanal Fishermen); Mrs Levina Owus; National Fisheries Association( Fishing Vessel Owners) and Mr Augustine Acheampong Otoo, President’s nominee.

Mrs Koomson said, as part of the effort to address IUU, the Ministry, through the National Premix Fuel Secretariat had suspended the supply of premix fuel to some communities in the Greater Accra and Central regions who engaged in “Saiko”, to serve as a deterrent to other communities across the country.

“Until they come to tell us they won’t do it and we also believe that they won’t then we can supply them with premix,” she added.

She said so far about five persons had been arrested, prosecuted and fined while over 20 generators had been seized in the process.

By: GNA