Premix: Pressure mounts on government as fishermen threaten demonstration

The Acting President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), Nana Joojo Solomon has revealed that fishermen from 4 coastal regions are seeking to embark on a demonstration over the lack of premix fuel in the country.

Speaking exclusively to Empire News’ Kwame Malcolm in Elmina on the sidelines of a workshop for News Editors on Fisheries, Nana Joojo Solomon said they want to seek audience with the President to find a lasting solution to the shortage that has resulted in price hikes of fish.

He warned that a demonstration will not bode well for the sector, adding soon a communique will be issued by the leadership of the Council on the way forward.

He revealed how the past 4 months of shortage of premix has resulted in the price of a headpan of fish almost quadrupling from the hitherto GH¢150 to GH¢1000.

“Three to four months there is no premix so the situation is very bad. The surge in the price of petrol is impacting on the transport fares, then certainly if fishermen are compelled to buy petrol that costs about 70 to 80 cedis as against premix fuel of GH¢10 cedis then obviously it will impact on…and most of the canoes have been beached. They can’t afford even buying Super, so there are only a few canoes and Economics will tell you Demand and Supply, is such that now the demand is so high and there is very little supply. Now I hear a headpan of fish 150-200 now is GH¢1000 cedis and I foresee it going high.

“Signals coming from all the four Coastal regions doesn’t look too good and we’re still talking to them and there are agitations that they want to embark on a demonstration. It won’t look good if all the four regions will have to converge in Accra.”