Ghana

Hawa Koomson punishes Elmina fishermen for disrespecting her orders on closed season

Sunday, August 01, 2021 at 1:17 PM by Nii Ayi Ayitey

- Elmina fishermen have been punished for dishonoring the closed season

- The fisher folks earlier rejected some food items by the minister over the closed season

- The chief fisherman apologized on behalf of his folks but the minister still insists

Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has disclosed that fishermen at Elmina will not be allowed to go fishing even though the closed season is over.

The minister described this order as a punishment for the fishing community who flouted the closed season.

The Minister further stated that since the fishers refused to accept her campaign against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities when she visited on Tuesday, June 27, it is important her outfit keeps them in check for some time.

Hawa Koomson punishes Elmina fishermen for disrespecting her orders on closed season
Source: UGC

“After my presentation on Tuesday, they said I said, they should stop the Saiko and light fishing which they were not happy with and so I should reverse that statement and I said no. I wasn’t ready and so they said if I am not going to reverse, I should take back the items I brought for them and I did”.

Read also

No lectures or exams from Monday as university teachers embark on nationwide strike from August 2

“Now they are begging, they have come to apologize, I am told they had a press conference, one of the chief fishermen is here to apologize but we still have to punish them for that I will not hide it,” she added.

The fishing community at Elmina had apologized to the minister of fisheries and aquaculture, Hawa Koomson, for rejecting food items she presented to them when she impressed on them to respect the closed season.

These fisher folk described their act as unforgivable. They argue that their anger was out of the closure of the sea for the closed season.

Not only did they reject the food items, but they also booed and jeered at the minister and her entourage until the bags of rice and gallons of oil meant for the fishermen were packed back into a pickup truck.

“We have apologized to the Omanhen of the Edina Traditional Area for such an embarrassment, and it is so that we also apologize to the minister. Our actions were embarrassing, to say the least,” the chief fisherman, Nana Badu, expressed.