Volta Region: Fishermen appeal to government for support

Fishermen in the Volta Region have appealed to the government through the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) to provide them with some relief items to assist them in coping with the aftereffects of the recent spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams by the Volta River Authority (VRA).

Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Canoe Fishermen Council, who doubles as the deputy Volta Regional Chief fisherman, Torgbui Seth Agbo-Kedey appealed on behalf of the Volta marine fishers in an interaction with this reporter at Dzelukope near Keta.

He said the spillage of the two dams, had left the sea with river weeds which was adversely affecting their activities at the various beaches and taking a toll on their livelihoods.

"You see when the VRA carried out its planned spillage, all the river weeds were washed into the sea - these days, when we go fishing, we only catch river weeds. You can imagine buying fuel to go fishing and only returning with a huge catch of river weeds," Agbo-Kedey lamented.

He added that during the spillage all attention from the authorities was focused on residents of the three Tongu districts who were affected by the spillage and subsequent flooding, leaving those communities in the southern part of the region that have also suffered the devastating effects of the spillage.

He called for urgent attention and assistance for fishers and residents living on the coasts of the region.

Lawson Agbeko and Eric Adadevor, both fishermen at the Dzelukope beach, and scores of women fishmongers took turns to pour out their frustrations, corroborating the account of the deputy Volta regional Chief fisherman and appealing for urgent assistance.

The fisher folk further appealed to the government to subsidize their fishing gear, which prices they lamented have skyrocketed in recent times to enable them to stay in business to cater for their families.

This reporter observed tons of river weeds scattered all over the shore suggesting that the concerns of the fishers cannot be far from the truth.