Tag: fishing

Fishmongers in Central Region have appealed to the Government through the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, to provide them with some soft loan facility to expand their businesses.

According to the women, most of them were often left out of various interventions from government to other professionals leaving them with no option other than to go for private loans from banks.

They made the appeal when Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, engaged Chief Fishermen in the region to deliberate on challenges confronting them and find ways to improve their livelihoods.

“Government should give us some loans to invest in our work; we sell other things during the lean season; therefore, we are capable of repaying any loan given us.” Maame Araba Ntaa, a leader of the fishmongers said.

She noted that the recent economic crises in the country , had resulted in high cost of fishing inputs, thereby having negative impact on their lives and that of their families.

Nana Kwame Yah Ababio, Secretary to the Ghana National Canoe and Fishermen Council (GNCFC), Central Region, commended the President for the timely intervention including the ongoing sea defense, construction of fishing harbours, break waters, supply of outboard motors among others, all I am its quest to improve the fishing industry.

He appealed to the Government to intervene in the distribution of premix fuel which was currently riddled by middlemen, hiking prices of the commodity.

On the closed season, Nana Obrenu Dabum III, Chairman of the GNCFC, called on Government to put in place alternative livelihood programs to assist fishermen during the closed season for the betterment of all.

He said the month of July, chosen for the closed season was not the best and must be deliberated upon with real fishers to agree on a better date.

Reacting, Mrs Assan assured the fishermen that Government’s unflinching support towards improving livelihoods to enhance development in the country was unequalled .

She noted that the Region was the largest in fishing activities with longest coastal belts therefore needed assistance for smooth delivery of their activities.

The Minister called on persons involved in illegal fishing to halt their activities and advised the youth in the Region to desist from insulting the elderly when giving platforms on televisions, radio, social media among others.

Source: GNA

Stakeholders in the fishing industry have identified political interference as an impediment to the work of the Fisheries Enforcement Unit in combatting all forms of Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing activities in the country.

They said the situation was frustrating as some Ministers, Members of Parliament and traditional rulers condoned the illegalities in the fishing industry.

This came to light during an IUU multi stakeholder platform meeting in Accra.

The meeting forms part of the Far Ban Bo (Protecting Fisheries Livelihood) project being implemented by a consortium consisting of CARE, Friends of the Nation (FoN) and OXFAM with funding from the European Union (EU).

DSP Lawyer Sandra Akosaa Asiamah Tawiah, Head of Legal and Prosecution at the Ghana Marine Police Service, said prosecution challenges, investigation of IUU cases, payment of fines and use of obnoxious and explosive substances were some of the challenges militating against the fight against IUU.

She said in spite of the challenges, her outfit has made successful arrests of defaulters on light fishing, landing of juvenile fish, obstruction of mesh and use of chaffers involving Ghanaian and Chinese fishing vessels.

DSP Tawiah urged key enforcement agencies such as the Office of the President, fisher folks, civil society organizations, the media, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to take pragmatic steps to combat illegal fishing.

Mr Kyei Kojo Yamoah, Programmes Director of Friends of the Nation, said they would continue to promote community participation in monitoring IUU related offences.

He said IUU monitoring groups have not had the courage to deal with the issues as many of their members participated in the illegal acts.

MrYamoah cautioned IUU monitoring groups who were involved that they would face stiffer punishments when caught.

A Representative from the European Union(EU), Mr Christopher Ackon, on behalf of the EU Ambassador and EU Director, urged the newly inducted ICT IUU monitoring mobile application committee to take the right pictures, document, report and follow up on the illegalities in the fishing expeditions.

Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX, the Paramount Chief of Dixcove Traditional Area, called on all stakeholders to sacrifice their time and help revive the fishing industry.

He also appealed to government to subsidize the cost of outboard motors and make them available to fishermen.

Source: GNA

Ofarnyi John Quayson popularly known as Maanoma, Chief Fisherman in Elmina, has noted that the fishing business in Ghana has declined under the Akufo-Addo administration.

Maanona said at a press conference on Wednesday, February 26 that a total of 584 canoes across the country have grounded and their teams disbanded.

This development, among other things, are causing the decline of the sector, he said.

“The fishing work has seen a steady decline since the assumption of office of President Akufo-Addo. As we speak, a total of 584 canoes across the country (per our count) have grounded and their teams disbanded. The breakdown is as follow. Volta Region = 76, Greater Accra = 152, Central Region = 244, Western Region = 112

“The situation has resulted in a total of 10,512 losses of direct jobs. This is aside the uncountable numbers of fishmongers, fish carriers, canoe secretaries, canoe guards and other auxiliary workers who have also lost their jobs. This certainly gives cause for concern. Doesn’t it?”

According to Maanoma, aside the “baseless and needless” closures of the sea by the Akufo-Addo administration, “pair trawling has returned with full force under this government.”

He said the smuggling of premix fuel which became a thing of the past under the Mills and Mahama administrations has also returned “with a big bang.”

Maanoma noted that what hurt fisherfolks most is the access to outboard motors for their expedition.

“Since the assumption of office by the Akufo-Addo government, we are yet to receive a single outboard motor from the government, contrary to the several promises and claims the president continues to make and tout.

“The sale of outboard motors has suddenly become a black market business. Outboard motors which used to be everywhere and easily accessible under the erstwhile administration are now suddenly the most unavailable commodity on the market. The government’s inability to bring in enough numbers of outboard motors has led to the fleecing of fishermen who seek after these motors. Outboard motors which used to sell at GHS4,900 and GHS6,000 respectively under the Mills and Mahama administrations are now suddenly selling at a whopping GHS17,000 and GHS17,500 under this Akufo-Addo government. This is certainly not what we the fishermen asked for,” he bemoaned.

Maanoma posited that fisherfolks, therefore, find the continuous promises and claims by the president of his government of having achieved a robust fishing industry not only “laughable but disingenuous”, and appealed to him to up his game and walk his talk.

“The Akufo-Addo government can continue to take we the fishermen of Ghana for granted at their own peril. Their deafness to our worsening plight and intransigence to our continuous pleas and appeals to pay attention to our work and fix the problems causing our otherwise booming business to collapse since they assumed office, can only lead to their humiliating rejection from us at the 2020 polls. Let those who have ears, listen,” he noted.

Source: classfmonline.com