The Minister of Fisheries and Acquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye has hinted that government is considering the extension of the closed fishing season.
She said this consideration is due to the success chalked by last year’s closed season.
“After they resumed fishing, they realized that some of the fish that they were not seeing before are now coming up. So, clearly, they have all embraced the concept of the closed season and now, they met with the President and informed him that they want a likely extension of the timelines for the closed season for 2020″, she told Citi FM.
“They will like to do it for two months. The artisanal fishers did it for one month, now they are asking to do it for two months. And the industrial trawlers are also asking to extend it for three months,” she said.
In April last year, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture announced a nationwide closed season for fishing from May 15 to June 15, 2019. This was aimed at allowing the depleting fish stock to replenish.
Despite government’s announcement, many stakeholders in the fisheries sector opposed the ban because of what they said was the failure of the Ministry to inform them ahead of time.
