Côte d’Ivoire suspends non-industrial and industrial fishing for “biological recovery” – At the “Vridi 3 Zimbabwe” fishing quay, the pirogues are moored next to each other. The fishermen are not working, says Kenneth Teby, who chairs the association of Ghanaian fishermen on this site: “All the pirogues are stationary. They’re parked. Everyone is at home. We’re waiting for the sea to open.”
Fishermen are having to tighten their belts for lack of income this month. But it’s a very useful measure, as they themselves have seen a sharp decline in fish stocks in recent years.
“We have 1,200 piroguers and today, when a piroguier arrives, he can bring a bucket, which doesn’t even represent five kilos,” explains Yves Gnoukouri, Secretary General of the Union des marins pêcheurs de Côte d’Ivoire. “He used to come with 15 plates, but now there are hardly any fish,” he laments. This is due to Chinese fishing, which dredges in three knots and destroys the aquatic fauna in Côte d’Ivoire waters. So by introducing biological rest, we think that the fish will reproduce.
According to the fisheries resources department, the tides are longer and there has been a 30% drop in landings in recent years. “We have set up a monitoring committee to assess the impact, both biologically and economically,” explains Colonel Alain Kodjo, the ministry’s technical adviser in charge of fisheries. But we need to wait a year or two to measure the real impact.
The Navy is monitoring the application of this measure. In the event of infringement, fishermen risk 1 to 5 years’ imprisonment and/or a heavy fine.
Côte d’Ivoire suspends non-industrial and industrial fishing for “biological recovery”
