President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is worried about the negative impact of illegal fishing on the country’s fish stock and economy.
According to the President, illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing activities have contributed significantly to a decline in fish stocks and the economy as a whole.
He said the illegal activities is compelling Ghana to spend some $200 million annually to import fish to shore up fish requirements.
President Akufo-Addo made these remarks when he participated at the One Ocean Summit, held in Brest, France on Friday February 11, 2022, upon the invitation of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic.
He wrote on his Facebook timeline after the Summit that “I indicated, in my remarks, that, in Ghana, illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing activities have contributed significantly to a decline in fish stocks.
“As such, we are compelled to spend some two hundred million dollars (US$200 million) annually to import fish to shore up our fish requirements.
“To curb the menace of illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing activities, a National Plan of Action is being implemented. Components of this Plan include fish catch certification, reactivation and installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS), automatic identification system (AIS) on vessels, port and beach inspections, and sea patrols.
Ghana also supports the principle of a global convention in this area.”
By Vincent Kubi