Ho, Jan. 12, GNA - The Deputy Minister for Agriculture in charge of Fisheries Nii Amasamah Namoale, has challenged fishermen in the Volta Regio= n to justify their demand for increased allocation of premix fuel. This, he said, could be done with projects funded from the sale of the fuel. He said it was mandatory for the managers of the fuel to use 53 per cent of revenue from the sale of premix fuel allocations on projects that would benefit fishing communities.

Nii Namoale, who was addressing Chief fishermen in the region in Ho on Tuesday, said the region had no single project to show from the sale of pre-mix fuel since 2008 yet they were demanding that the region's allocat= ion be increased. He said the decision to keep revenue from the sale of the fuel in the banks defeated the policy underlying the premix fuel initiative and that most regions had funded projects such as community centres and other infrastructure from the sale of the fuel.

"The period where individuals managed the premix fuel like family businesses is over and we can no longer allow some selfish individuals to cash in at the expense of their communities," Nii Namoale said. He said some fishermen were still using illegal fishing methods and warned that anyone caught doing that would face the law. Nii Namoale said plans were far advanced to make the Volta Region the "seat" of aquaculture and called on the fishermen to be in readiness fo= r the successful implementation of the project.