Cape Coast, August 17, GNA – The Journalists for Responsible Fisheries and Environment (JRFE), a community of journalists committed to promoting sustainable fisheries and environment have added their voice to calls on the government to end illegal transshipment of fish at sea popularly known as “Saiko”.
The journalists expressed worry about how the livelihoods of artisanal fishers in the four coastal regions of Ghana were being affected with the wanton disregard for the country’s fisheries laws by some industrial trawlers, especially in the period of COVID-19.
“Considering the fact that, “Saiko” has contributed to the decline and near collapse of the small pelagic stocks such as sardinella, chub mackerel, and anchovies, JRFE calls on the government of Ghana to as a matter of urgency end “Saiko”.
They listed other activities like illegal fishing activities such as over fishing and overcapacity, light fishing, and fishing with chemicals as some of the activities and called on the government to assist in ending to help save the lives of local fishers”.
“In particular, the JRFE shares in the concerns of fishermen that has led to a series of agitations across a number of coastal communities in the country in recent times”, a statement issued and signed by Mr Kingsley Nana Buadu, Executive Director of JRFE said.
The statement bemoaned how industrial trawlers were engaging in the transshipment of fish at sea despite the fact that the country’s fisheries laws frown on it.
The worrying aspect, it noted was the fact that they targeted species meant to be caught by local fishers, freeze them, and then resell to the fishermen for profit.
It said Saiko was undermining the government’s efforts to better the lives of local fishers through fishing, which served as a source of livelihood for over 2.7 million Ghanaians.
“Saiko” is threatening the jobs and food security of the fishing communities and Ghana’s economy in general”, it added.
The statement further indicated that Saiko was rendering the government’s support for fishermen in terms of giving out subsidized outboard motors and premix fuel, less useful since fishers spent hours on the sea but returned with little or no catch.
It said in 2019, fisheries scientists warned that Ghana was likely to lose fish stocks in the near future in the marine waters, which would put food security and goals for the economic growth and poverty reduction in fishing communities at risk.
“The time for the country to act is now. It is time to save the fisheries sector. Ending Saiko in Ghana means, the country is greatly contributing to the achievement of the targets set under the Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water”.
GNA