Kormantse fishermen pledge support for Fisheries Act

Kormantse (C/R), Feb. 16, GNA - Fishermen from Kormantse near Saltpo= nd in the Mfantseman Municipality, have pledged support for the Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 652) and Fisheries Regulation 2010 Legislative Instrument (LI 1968). The 2010 LI was to protect the fisheries industry through unapproved methods of fishing such as the use of lighting, the use of dynamites and poisonous chemicals, fishing in restricted areas by trawlers and fishing with mesh-nets among other things. Nana Kweku Abakah, Chief Fisherman of Kormantse, said the sea was the only resource for livelihood for fishermen and expressed concern about how some of their colleagues had been destroying the sea through greediness. Addressing a forum to express appreciation to the Government on effort= s to protect the sea from being abused, Nana Abakah advised fishermen, who were violating the law, to desist from it and to help the Government to mak= e the law successful.

He said depletion of marine resources could be attributed to the destruction of marine weeds on which the fish fed by dropping powerful electric bulbs into the sea to attract the fish to be trapped. Nana Abakah said the fingerlings, which could grow later to be caught were also killed by the bulbs.

He reminded the fishermen that the fishing industry was an age old sector that would continue to be passed on from one generation to another. Nana Abakah said they would not like the next generation to accuse the= m for not taking good care of the only source of their livelihood. Mr Kwame Etroo, a fisherman said the LI was enacted on the request of the fishermen themselves and expressed dismay that those who compelled the government to enact the law to turn round to accuse the government for throwing them out of job. He said the main fishing season this year turned out to be a catastrophe as the fishermen incurred heavy losses because of poor catch. "The time to save the sea is now," he said and urged the Governmen= t to enforce the law to make the sea better for all. Nana Apo, also a fisherman appealed to the Government to make fisherme= n to swear an oath not to use light, dynamite and poisonous chemicals for fishing.