Fishers in Aboadze-Abuesi ,a fishing communities in the Shama District of Western Region have appealed to the government to ban light fishing after the closed season to sustain the fishing industry as well as ensure maximum benefits from the closed season.

They noted that the ban, if strictly implemented, would go a long way to ensure fish stock replenishment in the country's marine waters to benefit value chain in the fishing business.

A visit by GNA to the two fishing communities after the opening of the one month closed fishing season, saw fishermen briskly preparing to embark on their fishing expedition, while fishmongers were also positioning in readiness for their fish smoking activities to start.

Two members of the Interim Fishing Committee of Aboadze, Mr Kojo Akyer and Mr Adam Essilfie explained that "in the olden days fishing business was productive and lucrative; adding that with the introduction of illegal light fishing or unorthodox methods of fishing in recent times, it had affected their fishing expedition".

They said light fishing by some unscrupulous fishermen affected their business, making it difficult to fend for their families and called for regulations and laws to regulate the perpetrators.

Mr Kweku Essuon and Mr Oluman, both fishers from Abuesi also blamed the decline in the fishing business on light fishing, noting that the illegal fishing activities had collapsed their fishing business and they had to struggle to pay back loans they contracted to put their canoes and fishing equipment in shape.

The fishermen lamented the alarming rate of the illegal activities of trawlers and unorthodox fishing methods, which were negatively impacting the fishing business and urged the government to put in place pragmatic measures to deal with them.

They pleaded with the government through the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Fisheries Commission to be proactive in banning the light fishing to save the fishing industry.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission "closed" the sea for inshore and canoe fishers for one month to replenish the fish stock in the sea.