Gov’t is collapsing fishing industry - Afenyo-Markin

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu in the Central region, Alexander Afenyo-Markin is accusing government of deliberately collapsing the fishing industry in Winneba for political gains through the implementation of life crippling selective decisions and policies.

He accuses the NDC government of going against the laid down procedures depicted in the formation of the local premix management committees headed by the fisher folks charged with the sale of premix fuel in the area.

He further accused government of deliberately placing the sale of fuel in hands of cronies from the NDC who do not qualify to be in charge of the sale of the fuel as they are neither canoe owners or fishermen as stipulated by the fishing and premix sale procedures.

What makes the situation worse, according to him, is the fact that such cronies sell the fuel at exorbitant prices to the fishermen thereby increasing their operational costs with a lot of the fisher folks recording losses.

Mr. Afenyo Markin added that fishermen suspected to be supporters of the NPP tend to be discriminated against as some even get denied the supply of the fuel thereby crippling their fishing activities and ultimately their financial muscles.

Speaking at a rally Winneba during a keep fit activity to galvanise their support base in the area, Hon. Afenyo Markin also accused the NDC government of discriminating in the implementation of the ban on the use of light for fishing in the country as it is only fishermen in the Winneba area who are forced to go by the policy especially in the central region.

The said selective move by the government, he explained has affected the financial life of the fishermen from the area as government has created an uneven field for the fishermen to operate with those from the Winneba area recording low catch and ultimately losses.

He therefore warns government to stop using some chief fishermen and other party activists to foment trouble in the area as those nefarious acts by the NDC could add to the already tension in the area as a result of chieftaincy disputes.

He however adds that a future NPP government will abolish the current policy and place the sale of premix fuel in the hands of the fishermen as that is the best practice.