Transshipment on sea by foreigners killing local fishing in Africa—Ghanaians cry out
Ghanaian fishing groups in the Central Region have raised alarm on the high rate illegal transshipment of fishing activities on the sea by foreigners, saying the act amounts to economic sabotage to African economies.
Before now, Nigerian indigenous fishing operators had raised similar warnings to the Ministry of Investment, trade and Commerce, saying the activities of foreign fishing companies on high seas are undermining the growth and operations of local players.
Ghanaian fishermen allege that the illegalities by some individuals, mostly foreigners were collapsing the local business and making it difficult for them to keep their livelihoods.
Addressing members of the Journalists for Responsible Fisheries and Environment (JRFE), Ghana when they went on a field trip to some beaches at Moree and Elmina to find more about problems facing the fisher folks, they stressed the need to replenish the declining fishery stocks and there was the need for urgent pragmatic steps particularly by government and its agencies to curb these activities.
According to them, “if care was not taken and efforts to enforce laws meant to check these illegalities including light and chemical fishing were not expedited, replenishing fishery stocks would not be successful”.
“If we want to be successful at replenishing the stocks, enforcement agencies must work harder to check, especially activities of trawlers who destroy the nets of the fishermen”, Kojo Preh a fisherman at Moree stated.
They further revealed that illegal transhipment of fish called “saiko” was another major problem facing the fishing communities and called on the government to ensure the enforcement of laws and help indigenous fishing groups not to collapse in business on the illegal activities of foreigners.,
