In the quest to fight illegal fishing activities, a mobile-based application designed for easy tracking of illegal fishing activities at sea has been launched in Cape Coast, the Central Region of Ghana.

The DASE mobile application, designed by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) with funding from the European Union, is meant to allow fisherfolks report illegal fishing activities at sea with geotagged photos and optional videos as evidence to appropriate authorities to help put an end to illegal fishing.

Speaking at the launch event, the Programme Manager at EJF, Mr Socrates Segbor, said the DASE application would allow fishers to report with evidence on fishing activities that are not in line with the laws of the land to the appropriate authorities for action.

“The DASE App would also help our fishers to report all illegal activities they see and also help them gather evidence for compensation claims in situations where there are damages to their gear at sea,” he said.

“The application is a user-friendly one that allows our fishers to have easy access and take photos and optional videos in simple steps”, he added.

The head of Monitoring, Controlling and Surveillance Division at the Fisheries Commission, Mr Christian Nii Aponsah, said the DASE application would complement the efforts of his outfits in identifying vessels and trawlers that engage in illegal fishing. He noted that all coordinates and identities of the offending vessels would be picked for necessary action to be taken.

Commenting on the fight against illegal fishing activities, Nana Jojo Solomon, a national executive member of the Ghana National Canoe Fisherman (GNCFC), lamented that the country’s effort to fight against illegal fishing activities has been crippled by the activities of some indigenes who collaborate with foreigners to fish using illegal methods, thereby causing havoc on the seas.

“We have had so many encounters where some of our fishers hoot at us for trying to do the right thing, how do we then fight against illegal fishing activities”, he queried.

Nana Jojo called on fishers and all stakeholders involved to aid the fight against illegal fishing activities and tap into the numerous benefits the DASE application offers for good results.

The Assistant Command Operations Officer of the Western Naval Command, Lt. Commander Charles Darkwah, also called for maximum use of the application to achieve its goal. He revealed that illegal fishing activities on the sea have been on the rise, adding that the introduction of the application would be a step forward towards its elimination.

“I think that this application has come at the right time to help us fight illegalities with regard to fishing”, he said.

He, however, cautioned that the application is not only aimed at targeting Chinese vessels who engage in all forms of illegalities but aimed at all fishers, both indigenes and other nationals who engage in illegalities. He charged all stakeholders to ensure effective cooperation to enjoy the full benefits of the application.

On behalf of the fisherfolks, Mr. Kwesi Donkor, a fisherman from Moree, pleaded for the modification of the mobile application to suit all types of phone, indicating that despite the benefits the DASE app offers, it is limited to smartphones.