Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has urged National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer John Dramani Mahama to refrain from politicizing the closed fishing season for canoe and artisanal fisherfolk.

Hawa Koomson emphasized that politicizing the policy would not yield significant benefits for the fishing community.

Recently, the former president pledged to exempt artisanal fishermen from the closed season if he wins the upcoming December 7 elections.

Addressing the media following a stakeholder engagement in Accra, Hawa Koomson pointed out the impracticality of excluding artisanal fishermen from the exercise.

“I hear the former president going around to say that when he comes back, he is going to abolish the closed season. I let them [the fishermen] know that it is a law. So I did not even create it. It was the NDC that made the law. And they observed it in 2016.

“I am only continuing what is there because it has become a policy. I want to plead with the former president that he has been in the seat before and he is a former president. When he is before the people and making utterances, he should be very careful because things that you cannot do, you don’t promise them.”