Government of Ghana has placed a one-month ban on all fishing activities along the country’s coasts effective August 2018.

In a directive from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD), the ban is expected to affect all industrial trawlers in the country.

The objectives of the implementation of ban are in keeping with Ghana’s Fisheries Management Plan and to help in reducing the excessive pressure and over exploitation of fish stocks.

The Control and Surveillance at the Fisheries Commission, Navy, Marine Police and the Fisheries Enforcement Unit will conduct regular patrols on Ghana’s waters to ensure adherence to the directive.

In recent times, fishermen have complained about declining fish catches after long hours on the sea. The famed August bumper catches are no more.

The development has been blamed on improper fishing methods and nets which do not spare fingerlings.

The introduction of bigger vessels that haul in a lot of fish at a time, instead of the smaller boats that were used in the past has also been cited. About 85 fishing trawlers are going to be affected by this directive.

An official statement from the Ministry is expected to be released next week to address the concerns of fishermen who might be affected by the ban.