Takoradi, Nov. 12, GNA - The Western Regional Director of the Fisheries Commission, Mr Alex Sabah, has said the fisheries sector supports the livelihoods of about 10 per cent of the country's population, which accounts for about 4.5 per cent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product. Mr Sabah made this announcement when speaking at a capacity building workshop at Takoradi on Friday. It was under the theme: "The State of The Fisheries Resources: Focus on Fisheries Regulation and Its Challenges". Mr Sabah said the fisheries sector that is also a major foreign exchange earner, generates about one billion in revenue each year. He said the sector's contribution to the economy could, therefore, not be underestimated as it also generates direct and indirect employment. Mr Sabah said there was, however, the need for stringent enforcement of the fisheries Act (Act 625) to avoid the depletion of stocks. He noted that the use of in appropriate equipment and wrong fishing methods were some of the factors contributing to the depletion of fish stocks, adding "There is the need to find ways of getting the fishermen to understand the sustainable message so that they can voluntarily come on board".

Mr Sabah added that the new fisheries regulation made adequate provisions in addressing troubling issues like the use of dynamites and undersized mesh nets. 12 Nov. 10