Ministry moves to check unorthodox fishing methods

Accra, Nov. 17, GNA - Regulations that would give effect to the Fisheries Act 625 would soon be re-laid before Parliament. The amendment being envisaged in relation to the enforcement of the Act would help to check the illegal methods used in the fishing industry. Mr Yaw Effah-Baafi, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, made this known in Parliament in response to questions on measures being adopted to stop the use of DDT (Chemical), dynamite and other unorthodox methods of fishing in the industry.

He said the "operationalisation of some 200 community-based fisheries management committees for the co-management of marine fisheries are on-going in all the district assemblies along the marine coast". He said it was expected that these committees would help in monitoring and reporting breaches of the law.

Mr Effah-Baafi said government was in the process of securing two fisheries patrol vessels to enable the Ministry carry out sea surveillance and arrest fishermen who engage in unorthodox fishing methods. In response to another question on steps being taken to complete the New Longoro Irrigation Project in the Brong Ahafo Region, the Deputy Minister said the project was one of 25 schemes being funded by the African Development Bank, the government and the Irrigation Farmers Association.

He said the project, initially awarded to a contractor in 2002 for completion in 2005, had to be re-scheduled because the contractor abandoned the site.

He said the project was re-awarded in 2007 and was scheduled to be completed in December.

Mr Effah-Baafi said substantial work had been completed on the project and 11 fish ponds had been constructed with seven of them holding water. He said the Fisheries Directorate had also been contacted to organise a farmers' training programme for the community in aquaculture for eventual take over and usage of the project.

Before the commencement of Public Business in Parliament, Mr Joseph Aidoo, New Patriotic Party member for Amenfi East, called for a review of the Mining and Mineral law and regulations to make it easier for Ghanaians to engage in legal mining of gold.

He said the law with its financial implications and other requirement, as it stood now, favoured multinational companies to engage.

He said this left the local communities to resort to illegal mining with its attendant hazards and loss of lives.

Mr Aidoo was making a statement on the floor of the House on the recent tragedy that hit illegal miners leading to the loss of lives at Dompoase in the Western Region.

He said the difficulty in securing mining license, poverty and the lack of alternative livelihood were issues that needed to be addressed to prevent such tragedies and loss of human lives.