Kpong fisher folks worried over aquatic weeds hampering fishing activities on the Volta Lake

Correspondence from Eastern Region:

Fisherfolks fishing in various parts of the Volta Lake have persistently complained about the presence of aquatic weeds on the Lake which impede their fishing activities.

Fishermen in Kpong are no exception as large volumes of the water body are covered in the weeds.

The fisher folks fear going out of business if urgent steps are not taken to rid the Lake off the more than 15-year-old problem.

GhanaWeb, therefore, visited the fisher folks at Kpong to familiarize ourselves with the problem.

This Correspondent observed that indeed weeds have taken large volumes of the waterbody extending to as far as the eyes could see.

Canoes leaving and returning to shore had a hectic time meandering their way through the thick hedge of weeds.

The situation also deprive the fishermen of bountiful catch as the fishes hide under the weeds.

Nearby, two machines supposedly brought by the management body of the Volta Lake, the Volta River Authority (VRA), were parked idle having broken down for years now.

The fishermen say they spend considerable amount of time using their bare hands to remove the weeds before they begin their fishing expeditions.

Joseph Klokpan Anane is Vice Chairman of the Kpong Fishermen Association.

According to him, he has been fishing on the Volta Lake for the past 20 years.

“As you can see, the weeds cover almost half of the water and close to the river bank. It’s very thick,” said Mr. Anane adding that they hardly get fish. “When you go to the river top and work, after coming back, you’ll face a lot of problems. As you can see, you have to fight with these weeds before you can land.

Mr. Anane said much as the VRA is aware of the problem, nothing much has been done to address the problem.

As part of efforts to clear the weeds off the Volta Lake at Kpong, the VRA, about five years ago introduced two weed clearing machines. These however broke down almost immediately and have since remained dysfunctional.

“They are aware of it [problems], as you can see they brought those boats [weed clearing machines] but since they brought those boats we haven’t seen the use of the boats. The boats could not move any single weeds, as you can see, they have parked them, they are not working for long time now,” the vice chairman noted.

“Since they brought them, I think the boats don’t have the capacity to remove the weeds. Actually when they brought them earlier on, they used to remove the small, small weeds around the shore.”

He however noted that though “some workers” have been employed to clear the shore, the impact is very minimal as “the weeds have become more and the workers are less.

Emmanuel Hedzroh is also a fisherman and the treasurer of the fishermen association in Kpong, having undertaken the fishing activity for the past fifteen years.

He also narrates the ordeal they face in the face of the development.

Recounting the favorable fishing days of the past when there were very few weeds, he noted that same cannot be said now as the fishes find a safe haven under the weeds to evade being captured by the fisher folks.

“The weeds have been giving us a lot of problems. First, when you go fishing, you can get plenty fish here but now when you go you won’t get, the fish they hide under the grass so you go, you come home empty,” he said.

Hedzroh appealed to the concerned stakeholders to come on board and clear the weeds.

He said “we’re appealing to the government and the VRA to come to our aid to come and remove the grass from the river top,” and added that the river serves as a source of fish for many from various parts of the country.

63-year-old Torgordzor Atitsopeh has been fishing here for the past 36 years.

The veteran fisherman who estimates that the problem of the aquatic weeds started about 15-years ago said he and his colleagues enjoyed bumper harvest before the weeds.

“36 years ago, there were plenty fish in the river but because of these weeds, when you go now, you don’t get anything,” he lamented.

Asked if there were weeds then as currently being the case, Mr. Atitsopeh said “no, no, no, that time the weeds no dey for the river top. All was clean, but now because of the dam, I think that brought this problem.

Christopher Akorli, who has also been in the industry for twenty years now said “the fish hide under the weeds and also, we find it difficult getting through the weeds from and to the shore so we are really worried and do not know what to do.”

Another fisherman, Simon Chakawu has also been fishing at Kpong for the past 25 years.

He told GhanaWeb in an interview that stepping in the river to clear the weeds with their bare hands exposed them to all kinds of diseases.

“It is giving us disease. When you enter the river, there are worms in the river where they enter your body, your belly will become protruded.”

Chief of Kpong, Nene Nyarko Kpabitey III also expressed concern over the situation as the livelihood of the fishermen were being curtailed over the years.

He promised to meet with the minister of fisheries and aquaculture and other ministers on the problem.

“My thinking is that in future as the new minister [fisheries and aquaculture] is appointed, if she starts work, I think that I’ll have to meet her, invite her to come and look at what is happening and what the fisheries and aquaculture ministry can do,” said the chief adding that he would also involve the Ministries of Energy and Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.

Assemblyman for Kpong Ahudzo, Raymond Gborsor said management of the Koforidua Technical University in collaboration with a “German University” had conducted an assessment of the situation on how the weeds can be harvested and converted into renewable energy.

Though he could not give further details, he was hopeful that the project, when implemented would rid the river off the weeds which would come as a big relief to the fisher folks.