Three persons have been arrested at Agavedzi in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region for their alleged involvement in illegal fishing activities along the coast. 

The suspects were apprehended in the early hours of Wednesday, January 21, by local fishermen, who reportedly found them engaging in light fishing, a banned practice known to deplete fish stocks and threaten the sustainability of marine resources. 

The Chief Fisherman of Agavedzi, Torgbui Korshivi Sorsorkpliwo, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that fishermen from the community encountered the suspects at sea and immediately alerted him. 

“When they called and explained what they had seen, I advised them to make a citizen arrest and bring the suspects ashore, which they did,” he said. 

Torgbui Sorsorkpliwo explained that light fishing attracts juvenile fish to the surface at night, leading to the indiscriminate harvesting of both young and mature fish, which ultimately reduces fish populations and affects future catches. 

He said preliminary information indicated that the suspects were natives of Akplabanya in the Ada Municipality of the Greater Accra Region. 

The Chief Fisherman said the suspects were subsequently handed over to the Denu Police for further interrogation and possible prosecution in accordance with fisheries laws. 

Checks by GNA at the Denu Police Station confirmed the arrest of the three suspects and the retrieval of an outboard motor, a generator, and a gallon containing perishable fish. 

The suspects were later granted bail and are expected to reappear as investigations continue. 

The incident comes amid growing concern among fishermen and other stakeholders over the increasing incidence of illegal fishing activities along the Ketu South coastline. 

Local fishermen told GNA that some offenders employ banned methods such as light fishing, the use of chemicals, unapproved fishing nets, and other destructive practices, which they said pose a serious threat to marine life and the livelihoods of coastal communities. 

Stakeholders described the situation as a blatant disregard for fisheries regulations and warned that continued illegal fishing could further worsen the already declining fish stocks. 

They have therefore called on the Fisheries Commission, the Marine Police, and other relevant authorities to intensify sea patrols, strengthen monitoring, and strictly enforce the law to deter offenders and protect the livelihoods of law-abiding fishermen.