The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture says government will halt the distribution of the premix fuel to landing beaches whose canoes are caught engaging in illegal fishing practices.

Hawa Koomson added that canoes that have not had their registration numbers embossed on them by the end of the year will also not be supplied with premix fuel, and would miss out on government’s susbsidised programmes for fisher folks.

She said this at Cape Coast while delivering her speech to mark this year’s National Farmers’ Day celebration. This year’s celebration is under the theme, “Planting for food and jobs – Consolidating food systems in Ghana.”

According to her, the sector has been hard at work ensuring that industrial trawlers adhered to laid down rules and regulations, however, canoes have taken to infringing these rules through the harmful practice of light fishing among others.

She stated that the Ministry will not treat culprits with kid’s gloves when caught.

“The Ministry will not tolerate any form of illegal fishing practices by both the canoe and industrial trawlers while arresting and taking punitive sanctions against industrial trawlers for engaging in illegal fishing.

“The Ministry cannot look on unconcerned regarding illegal fishing by canoes. The incident of light fishing by artisanal canoes is on the increase, henceforth, the Ministry will suspend supply of premix fuel to any landing beach whose canoes are identified to be engaged in illegal fishing practices to serve as a deterrent to others.”

“I wish to appeal to all canoe owners and operators who have not embossed the allocated registration numbers on their canoes to do so by 31^st December 2021.

“At the end of the grace period, any canoe without an embossed registration number will not be supplied with premix fuel for fishing trade. In addition, such a canoe will not benefit from government subsidised outboard motor and other fishing inputs,” she concluded,