MONROVIA, LIBERIA-The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority is warning against the use of dynamite by fishermen in Liberian waters.
Dynamite fishing is a destructive fishing practice where explosives are used to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection.
NaFAA Director General, Emma Glassco, said:” Fish from such fishing method are poisonous and unfit for eating.”
Speaking in an ELBC interview Tuesday, March 23, 2021, Mrs. Glassco said:” Eating such fish means eating the chemicals used in the dynamite by the fishermen.”
According to her, continuous consumption could lead to cancer and other birth effects.
She descried dynamite fishing as dangerous, not only to the survival of fresh water fish, but also citizens who consumed fish from such method.
Madam Glassco is, at the same time, calling for more awareness and sensitization about the danger of dynamite fishing practice in Liberia.
Meanwhile, Local fish farmers will be benefitting from a distribution of safe-fishing and standardized nets by the National Fisheries and Aqua-culture Authority, for fish farming in the Liberian waters.
Madam Glasco said:” The current rubber plastic nets used by local fishers are destructive to the fishes and other organisms in the water.”
She named West point, Popo beach, Banjor and King Gray areas as hot spot areas where the rubber nets are mostly used.
The NaFAA Boss said:” More than three-thousand bundles of nets will be brought in the Country by Saturday, March 27,2021, to kick start Phase One of the distribution process.”
She puts the cost of the nets to around two-hundred thousand United States Dollars, and will be distributed to all qualified local fishers free of charge.
