The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) has announced that approximately 2.5 million US dollars are needed to tackle and end the threat of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) in the country’s waters.
Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson spoke during a plenary session at the Ocean Conference 2023 in Panama, and said: “MoFAD is committed to ensuring that 100 percent of industrial vessels licensed to fish in Ghana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) deploy electronic monitoring systems, including the use of cameras to monitor and documentation of activities taking place on the boat.
“We estimate an investment of up to US$2.5 million to fulfill this commitment through partnerships between ministries, industry and development partners,” said Madam Koomson.
The deployment and piloting of the technology, which is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year, will ensure industrial vessels comply with the country’s fisheries rules and regulations.
IUU fishing remains one of the biggest threats to the marine ecosystem in Ghana, due to its powerful ability to undermine national and regional efforts in the conservation and management of fish stocks.
These challenges contribute to the depletion of fish stocks, in addition to threatening marine biodiversity, livelihoods while increasing poverty and food insecurity.
It is estimated that the country loses more than US$ 200 million annually due to IUU fishing, according to data from the Environment and Natural Resource Research Initiative (ENRRI – EfD Ghana).
However, Madam Koomson stressed that the technology, if implemented, will not only improve transparency but also ensure that fishing vessels comply with the law.
Under Ghanaian law, illegal fishing activities such as ‘saiko’ are subject to fines of between US$100,000 and US$2 million, or a minimum of US$1 million for taking juvenile fish on board, using prohibited fishing gear, or fishing in restricted zones (for example, on exclusive beaches ). protected zone for artisanal fishermen). The minimum fine can rise to US$4 million for repeated violations.
However, many offenders can find alternatives to overcome severe penalties.
ENRRI – Ghana’s EfD, at a capture fisheries stakeholders conference held in January this year, told B&FT that many of these offenders do not pay the required fines because they find ways to defeat the law.
The fisheries sector contributes significantly to Ghana’s socio-economic development. About three million people work in the value chain, while the sector contributes about 1.2 percent to gross domestic product.
Source: B&FT
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