Group advocates for fishing management plan for Butuah Lagoon

Mr. Donkris Mevuta, Executive Director of Friends of the Nation (FoN), on Thursday said a fishing management plan for the Butuah Lagoon at New Takoradi should be put in place before the ban on fishing in the lagoon is lifted.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Sekondi, he said the plan would prevent a re-occurrence of pollution of the lagoon, which led to the death of large quantity of fish and a resultant ban.

Mr. Mevuta said the plan would outline guidelines and the appropriate methods of fishing methods as well as the time and periods to fish and the type of fish to harvest.

He said industrial establishments near the lagoon would need to come out with their environmental management plans.

Mr. Mevuta said the environmental plans should contain how waste is disposed by the companies and what they would contribute towards the sustainability of the environment in event of pollution.

According to him, this is necessary because  people suspect some companies in the area released pollutants into the lagoon leading to the death of the fishes.

Mr. Mevuta said some fishermen at New Takoradi are pleading for the lifting of the ban in the lagoon.

He urged fishermen in the area to exercise patience until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) release the report of the committee established to look into the pollution of the lagoon.

Mr Mevuta said the report should be subjected to public discussion.

Source: GNA