Tema, Aug. 9, GNA – Some fishing nets worth GH¢400,000 were on Friday set ablaze by a fisheries task force at Ahwiam.

The task force made up of personnel from the Navy, Police, the Bureau of National Investigations and officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, was set up to check the use of illegal fishing methods, including the use of light and under-sized fishing nets.

Mr Jonathan Teye Ahianti, one of the affected fishermen, told the Ghana News Agency that on Friday August 5, he and his colleagues were at the Ahwiam beach mending their nets when a blue-black pickup vehicle pulled up on the beach.

Mr Ahianti said there were about 15 people on board the vehicle and when they alighted they pulled out their nets from the sea, poured petrol on them and set them ablaze.

He said three of the fishermen were arrested and sent to the Prampram Police Station.

Prampram District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Doe, confirmed the incident and said that two other fishermen were arrested on August 7, for using similar unauthorized fishing nets.