By:
Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express
The Daily Express can confirm that there are illegal
fishing activities along the coastal fishing communities in the country.
This illegal fishing activity goes on in the Volta
Region, Greater Accra, Central, Western Regions and some other fishing communities.
A visit to some of these communities, especially in
the Western Region to ascertain the effects of the oil production at the
Jubilee Field on the activities of fishermen and why they are unable to get
enough fish whenever they go fishing, it was revealed that the fisher folks
engage in several activities which affect their fishing operations.
Fingerlings
Most fisher folks, especially those in the Western Region
are using unapproved fishing nets (mosquito net), poisonous chemicals, dynamite
and other illegal method for their fishing activities. This is really affecting
their operation as they are unable to catch enough fishes as before. They have resorted
to catching fingerlings only.
This is going on in about 21 fishing communities in six
districts in the Western Region. The communities are Abuesi, Aboadze, Shama
Apo, Shama Bentsi in the Shama District; New Tadi, Sekondi, Nkontopo and
Ngeresia in the Sekondi Takoradi
Metropolitan Assembly (STMA); Busia, Butre, Lower Dicov and Upper Discov in the
Ahanta West.
Also include Upper Axim, Lower Axim, Brewira and
Apewo Sika in the Axim District; Ankobra, Atuabo and Anokyi in the Ellembelle
District; Half Assini, New Town, Effasu in the Jomoro District.
The Chief Fisherman of Abuesi, who is also the
Chairman of Western Regional Fishermen Council, Nana Kondua, blamed his people
for destroying the fishing business in the region.
Nana Kondua
“We can agree to the fact that the oil exploration
at the Jubilee Field may be a factor, but that is not the main cause of our
business collapsing. My people are destroying our business activities. They are
not listening to the elders and this is having heavy effect on our community.
For about 15 years now business is not the same,” he stated.
Tullow, the lead operator of the Jubilee Field has
instructed all the fisher folks in those communities not to go near the exploration
rig, and most of the fisher folk’s interviewed believes that is the main cause
of the collapse of their business.
But Nana Kondua lamented that he will not blame Tullow but
rather his people. “We are asking the people to stop the illegal fishing for a
while and see what happen. But there is no any other business apart from the
fishing, so they have been going for the fingerlings,” said Nana Kondua.
Nana Kondua therefore called for marine protection
to protect the areas where the fingerlings are, so that the fingerlings will be
allowed to grow before fishing.
Because of this illegal fishing activities and the
fisher folks inability to harvest enough and grown up fish, it has affected the
living standard of the people in some of the communities especially at Abuesi.
The women in particular do not have any job doing.
Those few fish mongers in the community are also taking the opportunity to sell
spoilt fish out to other buyers.
“We don’t get the fish to buy here. We have to go
far from here and buy them. Yes there are few once which get spoilt by the time
we get here, but even that we don’t sell the spoilt once,” one fish monger told
Daily Express.
The Daily Express gathered that one hindrance to the
development of these communities is togetherness. They have refused to come
together in order to form partnership to fight for their common goal. This has
resulted in lack of development in those areas.
An official from the Ministry of Fisheries and
Aquaculture Development told Daily Express that the illegal fishing activities has
come to their attention and the ministry is making sure that such activities end
soon. “We have taken keen interest in this and I must say that we are working
seriously on that,” the officer told Daily Express.
Section 11 (1) of the fisheries regulation which
talks about prohibited fishing method states that “a person shall not use
light attraction, portable generators, switchboard, 1000 watts bulb and long
cable to facilitate light production or any other contrivance for the purpose
of fishing; use any other prohibited fishing method which renders fish more
easily caught for the purpose of aggregating fishing; or operate pair trawling.”
Section 11 (2) also states that “a person who
contravenes sub-regulation (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary
conviction to a fine of four hundred penalty units or to a term of imprisonment
of not more than twelve months or to both.”
Mr Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah is the Programmes Manager for
Friends of the Nation, he blamed both Tullow and the fisher folks in the
Western region.
Mr Yamoah said Tullow has prevented most of the
fisher folks from getting closer to the rig. “It is in the best interest of the
fisher folks to adhere to Tullow’s instruction because of their safety. But at
the same time the fishermen are not getting what they are supposed to get,” he
noted.
He said several education and trainings for the
fisher folks in other business ventures will help the people in those
communities to be gainfully employed.
He also said that from 2009 to 2014, there have been
unforeseen occurrences along the beaches of those fishing communities. He said
between this period, 23 wales were washed ashore and most of them occurred in
the Western Region.
“We are not sure whether this is the cause of the
oil activities at the Jubilee Field or it occurred naturally. But investigation
into this must be carried by agencies like Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to determine the actual cause,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Jubilee partners led by Tullow have
denied been the cause of the problems in those fishing communities, especially
concerning fishing. Tullow said they are aware of such complaints from these
communities and they are taken measures to address them.
The company made Daily Express understands that they
are providing several social interventions to these communities. This includes
sea defence and other business ventures.
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