Ghana's fisheries is on the verge of collapse - Yamoah

Local fishermen in a fishing community

Friends of the Nation (FoN),a Non-Governmental Organization(NGO), has called on the Government to take steps to stop the Illegal pair trawler (saiko) fishing in the Ghanaian waters.

According to FoN, the alarming rate at which the fish stock in the sea was fast depleting, demands urgent attention from the government.

Mr. Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah, the Programmes Manager of FoN in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), explained that Ghana's marine Fisheries was on the verge of collapse due to illegal fishing which include, illegal transshipment, popularly called SAIKO.

He explained that SAIKO was the worst form of illegal fishing and therefore urged the government to stop SAIKO immediately and without any delay.

Mr Yamoah stressed that the illegal SAIKO had depleted the marine fishery resources of Ghana and as a result many fisher folks and their dependents wallowed in abject poverty.

The Programmes Manager indicated that Fisher folks wer expressing their concerns in many ways including; the latest peaceful protest in all the coastal Regions of Ghana.

He noted that Ghana's fisheries law Act 625 of 2002, Fisheries Regulation of 2010 (LI 1968) and the Fisheries Amended Act 880 and many other laws prohibited the SAIKO fishing.

Mr.Yamoah said the SAIKO fishing was rather being done by the fishing trawlers with Chinese names and of Chinese origin to the detriment of Ghanaian fisher folks adding "the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, Target 14.4 states that countries will effectively regulate harvesting and end over fishing, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and destructive fishing practices..by the end of year 2020".

He indicated that there wer about four months to the end of 2020 and the government had not show commitment to ending illegal fishing including; SAIKO.

Mr Yamoah urged the government to listen to the numerous appeals from fisher folks and stakeholders and end the SAIKO fishing to save Ghana's fisheries which contributed about 10 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).