Apam fishermen appeal for more premix fuel

Fishermen at Apam and its surrounding communities in the central region, have appealed to government to increase their pre-mix fuel allocation in order to help them deal with the huge deficit of the product in the area.

Apam, according to the fishermen, is a very large fishing community and had to share its premix allocation with other surrounding fishing towns, hence the 3,000 gallons supply weekly to them was woefully inadequate.

Mr. Ebenezer Crentsil, Secretary to the Apam Landing Beach Premix Committee, made the appeal on behalf of the fishermen at Apam at the weekend.

He said currently, most fishermen from Winneba, Ankaful, Kormantse, Abandze, Anomabo and Biriwa have migrated to Apam thus compounding the premix fuel shortage problem.

Last Friday, fishermen had to struggle to get some premix fuel after a large group of angry fishermen besieged the Roundabout premix fuel station to buy the product. The rush for the product followed the non-supply of premix fuel for three weeks.

Mr. Crentsil projected a weekly allocation of 6,000 gallons to help solve the situation now, given the fact that fishermen were in their peak season.

Explaining further the precarious situation fishermen go through at Apam, Opanyin Kwesi Nyimpa, owner of six canoes, said due to the shortage, a gallon of premix was now being sold between GH¢4.00 and GH¢5.00 instead GH¢2.8 by middlemen.

Another fisherman, Opanyin Isaac Okosu said sometimes the situation forced them to resort to super petrol and engine oil, but at a higher cost.

One needed about GH¢10.00 in order to buy the petrol and engine oil to make a trip, he added.