Fishers in Aboadze and Abuesi have expressed excitement and relief as they prepare to return to sea after the one-month closed fishing season. Many of them are hopeful that the month-long closed season would result in increased fish stocks, thereby improving their catch and livelihoods. In an Interview with the GNA, Egya Essuon, a fisherman in Aboadze, stated: 'We understand the importance of the closed season, but it has been a difficult time for us,' adding, 'We expect that the fish stock will be plentiful so that we can recover from the economic losses.' He urged his fellow fishermen to adhere to sustainable fishing practices to protect the industry for future generations, noting further that illegal practices such as light fishing and the use of unauthorized nets could undermine conservation efforts. For his part, Kwesi Akyen, a veteran fisherman at Abuesi, said despite the optimism of a bumper harvest, they were concerned about the rising fuel prices and limited access to credit and urged the governm ent to support them with affordable loans, to help ease the financial burden. Mr. Kwame Kakraba, a fisherman from Aboadze, called for improved infrastructure, such as modern landing sites and storage facilities, to enhance the efficiency of the fishing industry. He urged the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to appreciate the importance of ensuring effective compliance with every necessary regulation to prevent Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, which could undermine the gains made during the closed season.  The fishermen in the two communities appealed to the government to provide additional support and training programmes to help them adopt alternative livelihoods during future closed seasons. They further asked that measures be put in place to effectively and efficiently work closely with the Ghana Navy and Marine Police to enhance monitoring and surveillance to prevent unauthorised fishing activities. The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoF AD) 'closed the sea' from July 1 to July 31 to stop artisanal fishers from going to sea.  The one-month closed fishing season was implemented to help replenish Ghana's declining fish stocks and ensure the sustainability of fishing to make fishers along the coastal communities in the country become economically independent.  Source: Ghana News Agency