Fisheries Ministry, Licenses to suspend the Commission of 4 Industrial Ships

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission suspended the four -year industrial trails operating in the exclusive economic area of ​​Ghana (Zee) for repeated violations of the country’s laws.

Ships – Meng Xin 10, owned by Nasa Co. Ltd; Florence 2, owned by Akrafi FisHeries, as well as Long Xiang 607 and Long Xiang 608, both owned by Wannimas Complex Co. LTD -, were found that they were employed in multiple illegal fishing practices, including unauthorized transbusion, fish storage, fishing in restricted areas and harvesting of minor fish and fish contour, 2002 (Act 625) Fishing regulations, 2010 (LI 1968).

A statement issued by the Ministry of Public Relations unit said that these practices have seriously threatened the Ghana ecosystem, undermined the efforts for sustainable fishing and negatively affected the living fishing communities.

According to sections 76 (1) and 76 (2) of the Fishing Law, which empower the minister to suspend the licenses of the ships involved in repeated illegalities, the affected ships suspended their licenses for 12 months, with yesterday’s effect.

Context

The Ghana fishing sector has been challenged for a long time for excessive fishing and illegal fishing activities, not reported and unregulated (IUU), which continues to endanger marine biodiversity, erode the income of artisan fishermen and compromise the national food security.

Practices such as illegal transbial – known locally as Saiko – have contributed in particular to the exhaustion of key fish stocks and have damaged the integrity of the sea governance.

Section 132 of Law 625 crimes the illegal transubid, while Regulation 33 (2) of Li 1968 explicitly prohibits the transbusion between industrial and canoe vessels.

“These violations are not only violations of domestic law, but it contravenes international obligations and prevents progress towards achieving the objective 14 of sustainable development, which aims to preserve and use the oceans, seas and marine resources,” the statement shows.

Despite the ongoing involvement of the interested parties, the reforms of education and regulations, the ministry said that certain industrial fishing operators continued to act with impunity.

Therefore, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has reiterated the unwavering commitment to the strict application of the laws and regulations on fishing as part of its mandate to protect the country’s marine resources.

The statement also warned all the fishing-industrial, semi-industrial and artisanal operators to fully comply with the provisions of the law.

He warned that continuous violations will attract sanctions, including license suspensions, cancellations and legal actions.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Fishing Commission stated that they were determined in their mission to promote the responsible and sustainable fishing management in Ghana, for the benefit of the present and future generations.