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AGRICULTURE

Fishermen in Ankaful cry over light fishing

Fishermen in Ankaful, a fishing community in the Mfantseman Municipal Assembly in the Central Region have expressed concern about the continuous use of light for fishing by some fishermen despite several attempts to stop the practice in the area.

Date Created : 4/21/2023 : Story Author : Ghanadistricts.com/Rosemary O. Yeboah

They noted that the ban, if strictly implemented, would go a long way to ensure fish stock replenishment in the country’s marine waters to benefit the value chain in the fishing business.

A visit by Ghanadistricts.com to the fishing community on a programme called Akuafo Mmre, after the opening of the one month closed fishing season, saw fishermen seriously preparing to embark on their fishing expedition, while fishmongers were also placing for their fish smoking activities to start.

A canoe owner in Ankaful one of the fishing community in the municipality, Mr. Jonathan Wilson Arhin speaking with Ghanadistricts.com explained that “in the olden days fishing business was productive and lucrative; adding that with the introduction of illegal light fishing or unusual methods of fishing in recent times, it had affected their fishing expedition”.

Mr. Wilson said, when the lights were used in fishing it attracted all kinds of fishes irrespective of their sizes and that posed a threat to sustaining the fishing stock and the fishing occupation in general.

He added that light fishing by some crooked fishermen affected their business, making it difficult to fend for their families and called for regulations and laws to regulate the perpetrators and they even had to struggle to pay back loans they contracted to put their canoes and fishing equipment in shape.

Mr. Arhin Wilson pleaded with the government through the Municipal Assembly and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Fisheries Commission to be active in banning the light fishing to save the fishing industry.