Fisheries Ministry to inaugurate watch volunteers at Ada

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development will tomorrow commission Fisheries Watch Volunteers (FWV) at Otropke in the Ada East District in the Greater Accra Region.

The FWV programme, which will be piloted at Ada and Jamestown, forms part of measures to create sufficient space for participation of the fisherfolk in the enforcement of fishery regulations.

It will be in partnership with the Ghana National Canoe Council.

Statement

According to a statement issued by the ministry, 15 volunteers had been carefully selected, trained and equipped to join forces with the Fisheries Enforcement Unit to protect Ghana’s marine resources.

The key roles and responsibilities of the volunteers include; educating communities and raising awareness of illegal fisheries practices, reporting illegal activities and collecting evidence for prosecutions, and assisting in the prosecution of cases by serving as witnesses in court.

The ministry has, therefore, called on Ghanaians, particularly the fisherfolk, to give their maximum support and cooperation to the FWVs in their quest to help reduce illegal fishing to the barest minimum.