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More than 1,000 fishing nets used by fishermen along the coastline of the Western Region have been confiscated by the Fisheries Enforcement Unit of the Ministry of Fisheries and Acquaculture. The ministry, and officers from the Ghana Navy and Marine Police, have vowed to ensure that fishermen stop using unapproved fishing methods. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Head of the Fisheries Enforcement Unit, Mr Theodore Kwadjosse, said the illegal nets (monofilament nets) were not biodegradable. The nets, he said, could carry out unsolicited ghost fishing which actually had the tendency of depleting the country�s fish stock. Additionally, Mr Kwadjosse said, the nets could create problems for vessels, since they could obstruct the functioning of their propellers and cause accidents in the process. Monofilament Net The monofilament nets, he said, posed serious threats to the marine environment as they trapped other sea animals. He explained that monofilament nets were allowed into the country for those fishing in lakes such as the Volta Lake and even that they were allowed to use a required size of three inches. �It will interest you to note that the nets which were seized from the fishermen were as small as one inch a size which is not allowed,� Mr Kwadjosse said. He said what those fisher-folk were permitted to use were the multi-thread filament nets. Therefore, it is not right for the monofilament nets imported for the inland fishermen to find their way into the coastal communities. Mr Kwadjosse further explained that the multi-thread nets in the marine environment degraded faster because they were made of cotton. He said even though the fishermen were educated on the illegalities in the industry, �members of the taskforce were attacked when we got to New Amanfokuma�. Mr Kwadjosse said in the process of seizing the illegal nets, the fishermen attacked the patrol team with stones, smashing the windscreen of their trucks. He gave an assurance that the team would not be perturbed as they expected resistance, adding that they would enforce the law.