File photo of a fishing hub
The Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) has said members will look forward to the implementation of the various investments President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo mentioned in his State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The President presenting the SONA to Parliament on Tuesday said the Jamestown fishing harbour would be commissioned this year, and that the remaining 250 of the 300 automated premix fuel dispensers would also be installed by September, to help address the diversion and hoarding of the commodity.
Nana Kweigyah, the President of CaFGOAG, reacting to the SONA, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the funding of fisheries infrastructure, including the harbours, landing sites, and premix fuel automated dispensers, were very good investments.
He said that even though the initiatives were good, the Association looked forward to their expansion to other fishing communities.
Touching on premix fuel, he said it was important for the government to address the erratic supply to fishing communities, which was the source of all the problems associated with the product.
On the implementation of the closed season as a measure to replenish Ghana’s fish stock, Nana Kweigyah said a significant number of fishers disagreed with the intervention.
He, therefore, urged the government to address the concerns of the fishers, focusing on the short-term cost arising from the temporary loss of food and income and its associated socio-economic consequences.
He reminded the government that it was a serious human rights issue that must be handled immediately, suggesting that consideration could be given to supporting unconditional cash transfers to fishers during the closed season to sustain the intervention.
