Government orders 1,000 outboard motors

Government has ordered 1,000 outboard motors to be distributed to fishermen, the Minister in charge of Fisheries, Mr Ishmael Ashitey, said this when he interacted with fishermen at Nyanyano, Gomoa Fetteh and Senya to explain the policy on pre-mix fuel.

He said there were plans to introduce four-stroke-engine outboard motors that consume less fuel and are more efficient than the current two-stroke engines adding: By the end of the year a research vessel would be introduced to help identify fish shoals.''

Mr Ashitey expressed concern about the fishermen's refusal to adopt new technology and suggested that they formed big groups to enable them to access assistance from the government to buy vessels and establish fishing companies.

He said 99 per cent of vessels in the country were foreign owned and hinted that a vessel monitoring system would soon be put in place to check the activities of trawlers.

Mr Ashitey said the restructuring of the fishing industry would make it more responsive to the needs of fishing communities.

He said a fishery law and other incentives had been put in place to regulate the industry.

Mr Ashitey said the government was researching into the use of solar energy to run out-board motors in a bid to reduce dependency on pre-mix fuel, which was expensive.

Reginald Niibi Ayiobonte, Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo and National Chairman of the Pre-mix Management Committee, dispelled rumours that the government would no longer supply fishermen with pre-mix fuel.

He said it was expensive producing pre-mix fuel and urged them to be watchdogs over the smuggling of the fuel to neighbouring countries.

Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister, again expressed concern about chieftaincy and land disputes in the Region and asked them to help find solutions to them.

Nana Elsirife Ababio IV, Chief Fisherman of Nyanyano, mentioned irregular supply of pre-mix fuel, lack of cold storage facilities and poor roads as some of the problems they were facing.