Fishing Industry in Danger

The chief fisherman of the Ga State, Nii Abeo Kyerekuanda IV, has warned that unless government takes a critical look at the fishing industry in the country to effectively solve its numerous problems, the once booming industry would virtually come to a total collapse.

He has also thrown a challenge to the various banking institutions in the country to assist fishermen by importing fishing inputs to help them upgrade their already aging fishing methods.

According to him, " fishermen have suffered for far too long."

Nii Kyerekuanda made these suggestions when Chronicle called at his office during last week to comment on his expectations for this year's fish harvest prior to the Homowo festival, which is to be celebrated in August by the Gas.

According to him, this year's fish harvest was to have begun in May, but has been delayed due to what he called the changes in weather conditions and the heavy downpour of rain the country has experienced recently.

Continuing, he stated that it was too early to draw conclusions as to whether there would be a bumper harvest this year or not, though some positive signs indicate that there would be plenty of fish, stressing that it was only just a matter of time and the need for a favourable weather condition.

Giving a background history as to why signs were used to determine fish harvest, Nii Kyerekuanda explained that the practice began with their forefathers who used the directions of the stars in the skies to determine harvest but was sad to note that the practice has been stopped by what he called "modern people".

Another sign, he noted, was for the western part of the country to start experiencing a bumper harvest which, he said, would trickle down to the Greater Region which would later be carried to the Volta Region and vice versa.

He was, however, quick to add that these patterns have changed drastically over the years such that fishermen find it difficult to rely on these patterns, saying he hoped things would improve this year.

Addressing some of the problems facing fishermen in the country, Nii Abeo Kyerekuanda pointed out that most of the out-board motors allocated to fishermen on yearly basis had for a long time been out of service, and this has rendered many fishermen jobless because they are not able to go fishing.

He said apart from government subsidising part of the cost of the outboard motors, the number of motors allocated to them this year is nothing good to write home about.

According to him, instead of the 900 outboard motors allocated to serve the whole country, 269 pieces were only delivered to them by the Fisheries Department of the Food and Agriculture Ministry this year.

He lamented that as a result of the situation, some fishermen are forced to buy their own machines from the meagre profit they make from Japan Motors at a high cost of ?19.7 million just to keep them in business, adding that the prices of the machine keep escalating every year.

Continuing, he stressed that the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), lacked efficient storage facilities to preserve their catch when there is bumper harvest.

He therefore called on government to arrest the situation in time to save the industry from collapse.

He was also of the view that, if the poor economic situation in the country is preventing the government from subsidising the fishing industry, it should pave the way for private sector participation to help boost the industry rather than turning a deaf ear to their problems.