Bumper catch of fish at Half Assini

Fishermen in the Jomoro District have appealed to the Authorities in-charge of the supply of Pre-mixed fuel to increase the allocation to the district as the fishing season has commenced.

The chief fisherman of the area, Nana Emmanuel Odwiri, made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Half Assini in the Western Region, on Saturday.

According to him, currently over 140 canoes have moved from the Greater Accra and Central Regions to Half Assini, and that, following this development, the weekly consignment of 3,000 gallons pre-mixed fuel supplied to Half Assini has become woefully inadequate for effective fishing business.

He said since the beginning of August, each canoe at Half Assini has been landing with between 50 to 200 trays of herrings and salmon daily, a sign of a good fishing season.

The Secretary of the Half Assini local Fishermen Association, Mr Paul Forson said a big tray of herrings, which cost GHC160.00 in July this year, has reduced to GHC80.00 currently.

He said a big bucket size of fish was now being sold being at the Half Assini beach at GHC5.00, and that, currently five pieces of fish cost 50 pesewas.

Mr Forson said the introduction of the Chorkor smoker in the area by some fishmongers, who migrated from the Central and Greater Accra regions, had made fish smoking very easy and fast.

According to him, some drivers outside the Western Region have diverted their routes to Half Assini to cart baskets of fish to Mankessim, Accra, Kumasi and other parts of the country.

He said some relatives of the fishermen from the Central Region have taken advantage of the situation and are preparing food for sale to the huge number of people, who throng the Half Assini beach.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the GNA indicated that the Jomoro District Assembly is charging fees on baskets of fish leaving the area to improve its revenue generation.