Ato Pamford, Shama MP

Member of Parliament for Shama in
the Western region is assuring government of his commitment to ensure fishermen
in his area adhere to the ban on fishing to begin on May 15, 2019.

Hon. Ato Pamford, also a fisherman, opined that the ban is necessary due to the excessive pressure and over-exploitation of fish, especially through illegal methods.

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The ban on fishing, which was heavily criticised, is set to begin from May 15 to June 15, 2019. This follows extensive consultation with fishermen and stakeholders in the fishing industry.

The move by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission is to help reduce the excessive pressure and over-exploitation of fish stocks in Ghana’s marine waters.

In support, Hon Pamford on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Thursday, said the ban is a necessary evil.

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He bemoaned the fast depletion of
the fish stock which when not stopped will affect artisan fishing in the country.

“Most of the fishermen in my constituency are artisanal fishermen so they already adhered to the ban since last year because their job is at stake. I will ensure they abide by this new date,” the Shama MP added.

Hon. Pamford urged all fishermen to adhere to the new fishing calendar in order to replenish the country’s fish stock.

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Tetteh Caternor , NDC Communicator

In a rebuttal, a communications team member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Tetteh Caternor said the one-month ban is unnecessary.

He noted that, the Fisheries
Ministry must tackle the issues confronting the fisheries sector holistically.

Mr Caternor stressed that, the month-long ban alone is inadequate if the government fails to enforce laws against illegal and unregulated fishing practices.

“If effective monitoring is going on, I don’t think the close season is important,” he maintained.

Source: Ghana|Adomonline.com|Adwoa Gyasiwaa Agyeman