Fisher folk appeal for support

Asanda (W/R), July 13, GNA - The District Chief Executive (for Ellembelle, Mr. Daniel K. Eshun, has appealed to fisher folks in the Kikam, Asanda and Ankobra communities to form cooperatives to enable the Assembly to support them.

He said this when he met fishermen at Asanda as part of his tour of the communities.

Mr Eshun said the government was taking measures to deal with challenges fisher folks might face when commercial production of oil starts in the area.

The Chief Fisherman for Asanda, Mr. Joseph F. Ebambey, said fishing had become challenging because it is capital intensive. He said interest rates on loans from the banks were so high that it had became a burden on them and therefore promised to heed the advice to form cooperatives to enable the Assembly to assist them. Mr. Ebambey said rom a workshop organized for people along the coast, it was realized that the spillage of oil could affect their fishing activities and urged the government to put mechanisms in place to forestall any such eventuality.