Fishermen warn politicians to stop politicizing fishing issues

Moree (C/R), June 8, GNA - The Central Region Canoe Owners and Fishermen on Monday warned politicians to stop politicizing issues that concern them.

They said politicians should leave them in peace to enable them purs ue their interest to facilitate the growth of the fishing industry in the country. A spokesperson of the Group, Mr Kweku Sam, said during a press conference to debunk allegations made by a group calling itself, "Fisherm en Friends of Nana Akufo-Addo (FFNA)" that the Mills administration had fail ed to champion the cause of fishermen and has left them disappointed. FFNA had also alleged that fishermen were worse off under the Mills'

administration and called on NPP delegates to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo, currently a presidential aspirant of the party to wrestle power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mr Sam told his colleague fishermen not to allow themselves to be dr awn into 'unhealthy politics' that tended to divide their front adding "we wi ll not sit down for politicians to insult our intelligence while our vocatio n suffers." He warned that they would chase such people out of their mist. Mr Sam denied that things were worse off now in the fishing sector a nd said the initial difficulties, which the industry was facing when Preside nt John Evans Atta Mills assumed office, had virtually subsided. He cited premix fuel as number one example saying it was now in abundance and was being well managed with transparency, accountability an d social commitment by the various Landing Beach Committees.

Mr Sam said the allegation that the premix was being sold above its original price, was not true because the fishing communities met and agre ed on the current price of GH¢2.70 instead of the approved price of GH¢2 ..48. The reason, he explained, was to enable enough revenue to be generated to

develop the community. According to him, development projects were on-going in all the fishi ng communities as a result of the arrangement. He added that the price for t he consignment of outboard motors for fishermen was being negotiated with government and therefore it was not true that it was being sold at GH¢5,400.00 as was alleged by the FFNA. Mr John Aubyn, a boat owner, said the politicization of issues concerning the fishing industry and fishermen in particular have the tendency to draw their desired growth backwards. He therefore urged colleague fishermen not to politicize the professi on. Other fishermen, the GNA spoke with, expressed satisfaction that the government was on course and therefore its detractors should put a stop t o the peddling of falsehoods about the fishing business.

They asked government to subsidize fishing inputs to facilitate their

work and enhance their living standards of fisher folks.