Fishmongers in the country, have been advised to patronise the new smokeless oven for fish processing in order to safeguard the health of fish consumers.

The smokeless oven known as the Ahotor Oven was introduced by the Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP) after a research by the Fish Research Institute and approved by the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ghana Standard Authority.

Madam Gifty Baaba Asmah, the Executive Director of Daasgift Quality Foundation, a financial NGO, made the call at the inauguration of Ahotor Oven in Axim, in the Nzema East Municipality, in the Western Region, on Friday.

She urged fish processors to patronise the oven in view of its economic benefits, adding that it saved fish processors 40 per cent of the cost of firewood used for processing fish and also prevented them from inhaling smoke when smoking fish.

She said the oven had been introduced to fish processors in Elmina and Winneba in the Central Region, therefore the NGO had been educating fish processors in Shama District and Nzema East Municipality as well as other coastal communities in the Region to embrace the innovation for the sake of their health and safety.

Madam Asmah gave the assurance that the SFMP would pay 30 per cent of the cost of the oven which stood at GH₵ 1, 200.00 and also provide loans to interested fish processors to purchase them.

She advised fish processors to adhere to personal hygiene during fish processing by keeping their surroundings clean, keep the fishes in an iced-box and wear gloves and other protective gear.

Mr Thomas Suapim, the Regional President of the National Fish Processors and Traders Association, said fish was one of the most traded commodity in the world and constituted more than 60 per cent of animal protein consumed by many people.

He encouraged fishmongers to embrace the technology to safeguard the health of fish consumers.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the 'Feed the Future' initiative introduced by the US President Barack Obama, to reduce poverty and hunger in Africa thus, committed funds towards the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Management Project in 2014.

The project, among other things is aimed at rebuilding the marine fish stocks through the adoption of sustainable fishing practices and exploitation levels.

The fishing industry offers more than two million indirect jobs to Ghanaians and contributed as much as 4.5 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product at some point in time.