US partners Ghana, others to combat illegal fishing
The United States is working with officials in Ghana and nine other countries to address illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The partnership was as a result of the ten countries’ inability to put measures in place to protect their fishing activities, according to a report submitted to the US Congress January 11, 2013 by the US Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“The United States soon will start consultations with Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Italy, Mexico, Panama, South Korea, Spain, Tanzania and Venezuela — to encourage them to take action to address IUU fishing and by catch by their fishermen,” the NOAA said.
In NOAA’s congressionally mandated report, the nations identified had vessels that did not comply in 2011 or 2012 with conservation and management measures required under a regional fishery management organization to which the United States is a party.
“We look forward to working with these nations to encourage their compliance, and we will continue to work with our partners to detect and combat illegal practices,” said Sam Rauch, deputy assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service.
Independent experts have estimated economic losses worldwide from stealing fish from legitimate fishing operations to be between $10 billion and $23 billion annually, the agency said.
By Ekow Quandzie
Loses in this area of fishery would have adverse effect on global stocks. This is very importatnt for all parties involve to make coordinated effort both technology and advance informaion sharing to achieve success in this area. Especially in Africa as well as in Ghana foreign vessels are over fishing in Ghana coastal waters due lack of better satelite enhance in our coastal waters. Prosecute illegals fishermen if caught in Ghanaian coastal waters with stiffer fines