Voluntary and punitive strategy key for fisheries governance

Takoradi, Oct. 8, GNA - Mr. Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah, the Director of Programmes of the Friends of the Nation (FON) has advocated the development of a comprehensive participatory Fisheries Enforcement and Compliance Strategy to enhance the country's fisheries governance process.

He said the absence of a strategy involving voluntary and deterrence measures would not only weaken the law but encourage the bad fishing practices, which were depleting the sea of its numerous rich resources.

Mr. Yamoah was speaking to Journalists after a two-day consultative meeting on the 'Advocacy for Fisheries Enforcement and Compliance' Project for stakeholders in the fishing industry, at Takoradi in the Western Region.

The project, being funded by the BUSAC Fund, and implemented by FON, is to initiate discussions among stakeholders in fisheries toward addressing the issues of weak enforcement and low compliance of the fisheries laws.

Mr. Yamoah explained that developing policies and laws to strengthen compliance and enforcement, improving data on fishing vessels and fish stock, site-based inspections and promoting collaborative fisheries management systems for Ghana's Fisheries, were some interventions to ensure sustainable ecosystem.

Some of the participants the GNA talked to said they were not happy about undue interference from high authorities when fishermen were arrested who for wrong doing at sea.

They called for greater political will and public support to make hard choices and get positive behaviour towards rebuilding Ghana's marine fisheries sector.

GNA