Some fishermen busily building new canoes
The Ministry of Fisheries and Acquaculture Development would soon place a ban on the introduction of new canoes by fishermen from the various landing beaches across the country.
The three-year moratorium on new canoes forms part of measures to help make the fisheries sector more sustainable.
According to the ministry, research has shown that currently there are about 12,805 canoes operating in the country’s territorial waters instead of the about 9,000 the country’s waters should contain.
Before the embargo is placed on new canoes, the Fisheries Ministry is making efforts to register all existing canoes before giving special permits or licence to enhance regulation.
After the exercise, no fisherman can go on fishing expedition without a licence plate embossed on their canoes.
Meanwhile, DAILY GUIDE has gathered that the announcement of the embargo would be made before the next closed fishing season in August this year.
However, the paper learnt that upon hearing about the move to register existing canoes prior to the moratorium on new ones, some fishermen are hurriedly purchasing or constructing new canoes for registration.
A visit to Moree beach in the Central Region recently revealed that a lot of canoes were being built for registration before the announcement of the embargo.
Most of the fishermen interviewed supported the moratorium on new canoes.
They, however, suggested that the annual closed fishing season should be in the month of May or June every year instead of in the month of August.
Later in an interview, the Central Regional Director of the Fisheries Commission, Kwame Damoah said all fishing canoes needed to be regulated to help check activities such as over-fishing and all illegal fishing at sea.
He urged the fishermen to comply with the initiative so that the objectives of the national fisheries management could be achieved.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi