A Civil Society Group which has been involved in the sensitisation of fishermen on the closed season announced by government say they are disappointed, the program has been postponed to 2019.

Friends of The Nation says government beating a retreat is inimical to the fishing business because the industry will eventually pay the price.

“…so if indeed we were in crisis and now you [government] are postponing the closed season then it means you now agree that our fisheries should collapse,” Programmes Manager of the group, Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah told Joy News.

Related: Gov’t moves to protect depleting fish stock, set to announce closed season

He added that in the absence of the aforementioned reason then the government has been economical with the truth in the first place.

“If not then it means you were deceiving the people that we were in crisis when we were not in crisis,” he said.

Meanwhile, fishermen who spoke to Joy News’ Martha Crentsil Acquah say they welcome the decision by government and will begin to prepare for the ban next year.

“Government has to stop the Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing which includes light fishing, pair trawling and the like; so when the closed season comes in 2019, we wouldn’t face any problems. But for now we are happy the closed season has been postponed,” one of the fisherfolk said.

Related: Elmina fishermen, mongers protest August fishing ban

Cabinet was reported to have postponed the ban on all fishing activities in Ghana, which was expected to start August 7, 2018.

The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Naa Afoley Quaye, is said to have made this known Friday evening at a meeting, with stakeholders in the fisheries industry in Accra.

“The ban will now be implemented in 2019”, the Minister said.

The government’s decision follows a series of agitations raised against the planned implementation with many of the fisherfolk vowing to violate the order.