The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has announced the end of this year’s closed season for canoe and inshore fishers in Ghana.

In a colourful event at Adina in the Volta Region, the Ministry praised the fishers for their corporation during the period while warning that recalcitrant characters will be severely punished in subsequent years.

Since 2015, the Ministry of Fisheries and aquaculture development implemented a one-month closed season in accordance with Section 84 of the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625).

The period also known as the biological rest period is the spawning period of fish stocks.

The break from fishing allows the fish to lay eggs towards the replacement of the fish population, lost through fishing or through other natural occurrences.

This year’s closed season which will be the 8th began on July 1, 2023 and lasted until today, August 1, 2023.

The Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Moses Anim who announced the end of the closed season, thanked the fisherfolk for their compliance and warned of strict punishment of recalcitrant characters in subsequent years.

Chairman of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council Jojo Solomon in his Address said the closed seasons have proven to help their catch.

“Fortunately, our researchers have told us that statistics are already proving that the closed seasons are being effective and are positively impacting our catch provided we will stop all the illegal forms of fishing,” Jojo Solomon told the gathering.

And one more very important thing, “we are demanding the total depoliticization of the fisheries industry. We need to own our own industry because we do not have any other form of livelihood except this fishing business, so we need to gourd the industry. Why are non-fishers getting so much involved in the distribution of premix fuel?” Jojo Solomon probed.

The MCE for Keta, Maxwell Lugudor in his address requested support from the marine police to ensure a proper enforcement of the close season in subsequent years to help achieve the full impact.

“I have a few requests to make, one is that we need support to ensure that the law on closed seasons is properly enforced because what happens is that some recalcitrant fishers cross the border with their boats to neighbouring Togo to fish thereby reducing the intended impact of the closed season,” Mr Lugudor told the gathering.