The National President of Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana(CaFGOAG), Nana Kweigyah has cautioned that if the Government does not address the challenges of Fisherfolk during the closed season, at some point they will not regard the season.
On Saturday, July 1, 2023, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson performed a colourful ceremony to commence this year’s closed season at Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality of the Central Region.
The season which started on July 1 is expected to last till August 31.
Both canoe and inshore fishers and industrial trawlers are expected to observe the closed season till August 31.
Since its inception, for the first time, Ghana is doing the closed season with Cote d’Ivoire and Togo expected to join in 2024.
Prior to the start of the closed season, the Ministry introduced the Ghana Fisheries Recovery activity to help aid fisher folks during the Closed Season.
Already, the Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mr Moses Anim disclosed that 550 fisherfolk have already benefited from the Ghana fisheries recovery activity.
Read Also: 550 fisherfolk benefit from Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity -Moses Anim
But speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, the National President, Canoe and Fishing Gear Association of Ghana(CaFGOAG), Nana Kweigyah observed that the closed season has brought hardship to the fisherfolk, especially staying without work for about two months.
He observed that the work most of the fishermen were doing was mostly ‘hand to mouth’, therefore staying without work was really disturbing.
Despite Government’s claims of intervening in the affairs of the fishers during the closed season, he noted that most of them were facing challenges, adding that the closed season will only become successful if the challenges of the fisherfolk are addressed.
“If we are not able to address the challenges, there will be a time that the fisherfolk will not regard it. We cannot do a closed season that will destroy our job. Every time we do the closed season , people suffer,” he said.
Nana Kweigyah added, “We want the closed season to be implemented in a manner that will not directly affect the work of the fishers and that will guarantee us the said benefits associated with the closed season.”
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
