The act of illegal is very well diversified in character but every act of fishing not carried out in the right way is illegal. Also, the illegality of the act can carried concerned with the species caught or the type of fishing gear used and they are as follows:
• Fishing without valid permit: A fishing license is a documentation that grants a person the right to catch a specified number of fish of certain types in a given period of time without exceeding this agreed limit. Most States because of the knowledge of illegal fishing have ensured that would-be fishermen purchase licenses before fishing as this serves as a checkmate for the number of people engaged in making catch in a certain area and of a certain species, …show more content…
There are several reasons why people engage in the act of illegal fishing asides from the obvious high profit that would be gained and they are:
• Too many fishermen chasing too few fish: Currently the fishing industry has too much capital invested in vessels that it must operate to realize a return. There are too many boats at sea trying to make catch on a daily basis and this is causing the aquatic animals to reproduce poorly and vessels are not waiting for them to reproduce rather they catch whatever is in their way just to realize profit for the operators and owners and this thereafter leads them to illegal fishing.
• High and growing demand for seafood: As the world population continues to soar, the demand for seafood, an attainable protein resource, increases and fisheries stocks are harvested beyond their ability to sustainably reproduce. The act of fishing was previously regarded as trash but now due to the demand experienced everyone is turning to it for a livelihood and those that are impatient go to other States water to fish thereby committing the offence of illegal fishing because many a times the actual number of catch is not reported or less is …show more content…
A country like Nigeria that losses $60 billion yearly is experiencing a downslide in its revenue because if that same amount is not lost but gained then a potential growth would be experienced in the economy. Also, the amount of catch that could be made in Ghana by the artisanal fishermen is been greatly reduced because of the amount of catch already lost to illegal fishing that occurs on their waters. It is wise to note that Illegal fishing off Nigeria and several other neighboring countries also creates an environment conducive to piracy. Also, widespread fishing by commercial trawlers close to shore zones reserved for artisanal fishing is destroying underwater habitats and eroding the livelihoods of coastal communities and this increases the likelihood of fishermen turning to crime. Although the existing law requires trawlers to bring their catch back to shore for registration before export, some crews with or without the knowledge of their employers, sell fish, especially species they are not authorized to catch, to illegal traders sailing refrigerated vessels and trawlers thus carry more cash than they usually would, becoming more attractive targets for