The treat of pirates on the Coast of West Africa is of concern to the traditional rulers and people living along the Coasts of Ghana.

To this end, the Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional Area in the Western Region, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, has asked fishermen along the nation’s coasts to promptly report suspicious characters to the navy or the security agencies for action in the fight against piracy

He said, the passage of such information twould help check the activities of pirates which were a threat to the security and safety of the West African sub-regional maritime domain.

“Let’s all be alert and collaborate with our security personnel to check piracy at sea,” he said.

Nana Nketsia made the appeal last Saturday during the official opening of the 2021 closed season at the Albert Bosumtwi Sam (ABS) fishing harbour, at Sekondi.

He said, the collective effort of all stakeholders was key to the protection and conservation of the marine resources.

He, however, told the gathering that selfishness and greed were critical issues that had undermined Ghana’s fisheries sector and believed that the enforcement of the fisheries laws would instil discipline in the sector, devoid of partisan politics.

“If you flout the rules, the law must take its course. The laws must be allowed to work in the interest of all stakeholders. Let’s embrace the closed season because we are one people”.

Historically, Essikado Omanhen noted that Ghana’s shores hauled abundant herrings especially during July and August , bringing joy to the fishing community, but, today, due to poverty, these potentials had eluded fishers.

“If we say on Tuesdays, there should be no fishing, it’s no fishing. But, because of greed and selfishness, we don’t comply. You are destroying your own future. We are destroying what our forefathers bequeathed to this generation.T hey knew why they declared that the sea must rest on that day,” he said.

Nana Nketsia called on stakeholders be resolute and check the activities of foreigners who engaged in illegal fishing to ensure discipline in the fisheries sector.

“Ghanaians are legally mandated to use the sea not Koreans or Chinese. It’s our future. Some of them come here fishing and depleting our fish stock. We need to be resolute on this issue.” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Mr Jojo Solomon a National Executive of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, applauded the success of the 2021 closed season and believed that with the cooperation of all stakeholders, Ghana was on the path of restoring sanity in the marine environment.

From Clement Adzei Boye, Sekondi