Tema, Jan 26, GNA - Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), on Monday said that MOFA would enforce the Fisheries Act to bring sanity to the fishing industry in the country.

He said the Ministry was collaborating with the Ghana Navy to arrest and prosecute people who would engage in illegal fishing. Mr. Ahwoi gave the assurance in a speech read on his behalf, at a training programme for mechanics and other personnel manning inshore fishing vessels drawn from fishing communities in the country, at Tema. The five-day programme that was organised by MOFA, the National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NFAG) and the Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association (GIFA), was aimed at equipping participants with knowledge and skills to enable them to avoid accidents involving inshore fishing vessels. Mr. Ahwoi said that MOFA was in the process of acquiring two patrol boats for the Navy to facilitate their efforts at arresting fishing vessels that were operating illegally.

He called on stakeholders in the fishing industry to co-operate with MOFA to prevent illegal activities in the fishing industry. Mr. Ahwoi said: "we shall not only ensure the safety of your investment, but also make the fishing industry a viable sector to attract investment, create employment, wealth and reduce poverty among our people." The Minister expressed regret that a recent report by the World Bank on the fisheries sector indicated that over 300 million dollars was lost every year as a result of irregularities by operators in the fishing industry. Mr Ahwoi debunked the notion of some fisheries operators that the Fisheries Act was enacted to assist government earn more revenue adding that it was meant to protect the investment of fisheries operators, their lives and properties.

He said that the fisheries sector was expected to create jobs, contribute to the Gross Domestic Product, Foreign Exchange Earnings, poverty reduction and food security.

Mr Ahwoi lamented that despite its great potentials, the fishing sector could not live up to expectation due to problems such as the violation of rules and regulations by some fisheries operators. Mr Ahwoi appealed to stakeholders in the fishing industry to respect the Fisheries Act.

Mr Mike Akyeampong, Chairman of the Fisheries Commission, said that a stakeholders' forum would soon be held to deliberate on the formulation of fisheries regulations, after which draft regulations would be presented to Cabinet for submission to Parliament for consideration. He expressed the hope that Parliament would approve any such draft regulations to help bring sanity to the fishing industry. Mr Joseph Nii Armah-Quaye, National President of GIFA, called on members to acquire valid fishing licences from the Ministry as stipulated by Section 46 of the Fisheries Act.

Flight Lieutenant M G Tackey (rtd), National President of NAFAG, called on stakeholders in the fishing industry to help find solutions to problems facing the sector.

Mr Joe Akramo, Tema Regional President of GIFA, asked MOFA to organize regular training programmes for fisheries operators to update their skills and knowledge in fishing and to overhaul outmoded fishing gears and nets.