The Ghana Aquaculture Stakeholders (GAS) has called on the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD), to prosecute irresponsible farmers and other sector players whose activities would endanger the sector.

According to Ghana Aquaculture Stakeholders, prosecuting irresponsible farmers will give several Ghanaians a chance to recover from the present disease related crisis.

This demands were in a petition by the Ghana Aquaculture Stakeholders (GAS) to MOFAD as one of the key issues which urgently needs to be addressed in the Fisheries sector.

In the petition GAS also called on the ministry to take immediate action to safeguard aquaculture business activities by banning the importation of tilapia and illegal activities on the Volta Lake. Adding that the increasing illegal activities by some foreign nationals are gradually collapsing the fishing industry which employs many fishers on the Volta Lake.

GAS said its survey has revealed that fish farms in areas around the Volta Lake are currently faced with unprecedented challenges.

Receiving the petition the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Kingsley Ato Cudjoe assured the GAS that government will give serious attention to the concerns of GAS.

Hon Ato Cudjoe said upon coming into power from 2017 the NPP government has taken measures to promote aquaculture in the country.

He said government through MOFAD will implement the Aquaculture for Food and Jobs program from 2020 to increase fish production and create more job opportunities for the people.