Ghana Tuna Association has called on the government to explore the creation of artificial reefs as a safeguard to the country’s dwindling fish stock.
The association said the move would also help save the fishing industry since “it is one of the many tools used by marine conservationists to protect the fish stock.”
Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio, Secretary of the Ghana Tuna Association (GTA), who made the call noted that the artificial reefs could be made from a variety of natural or synthetic materials to provide a stable growing area and habitat for fishes to migrate and lay their eggs and replenish.
He said another tool was also to reduce the huge number of canoes and trawlers on Ghana’s seas, saying, it was unacceptable to have over 4,000 canoes chasing the dwindling stock.
He said even though the sea “does not dry,” the fishes in the sea were dwindling and if care was not taken the industry would collapse.
Mr Amarfio, who is also the Director of Operations for Laif Fisheries, stated this at the Ghana News Agency Boardroom Dialogue, a platform for commercial and business operators to communicate to the world.
Speaking on recent developments in the fishing industry, Mr Amarfio called on the authorities in the fisheries industry to involve all stakeholders during deliberations, noting that “the old notion that players in the industry are unlearned, therefore, others must make decisions for them is long past.”
“We now have people with high professional qualifications, but chose to work in the fishing industry, now we have people with doctorates who are fishermen, we must, therefore, invite them to the table for discussion for the development of the industry,” Mr Amarfio stated.
He said the only way to take control of the fishing industry was through pragmatic enforcement of laws, training of fishermen, and other key players in the sector.
Mr Amarfio explained that the fishery industry globally had measures to monitor, control, and surveillance to ensure compliance to fishery management procedures.
He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to activate its monitoring role to gather information on the sector to help in developing and assessing appropriate management measures.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, Tema Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency, urged the media to highlight issues affecting the fisheries sector for redress.
