The Ghana Tuna Association (GTA) has urged the National Premix Fuel Committee and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture to set aside some percentage of the monies used to subsidize premix fuel as an insurance scheme for the fisher-folks.
The Secretary of the Ghana Tuna Association (GTA), Mr. Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio making the call said out of the 70 percent subsidy, 30 percent could be reserved as insurance which could be used to cushion fishermen.
Mr. Amarfio was speaking at the sixth Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office monthly stakeholder engagement and workers’ appreciation seminar, which aimed at bringing together both state and non-state actors together to address national issues.
He said the current arrangement on the 70 percent subsidy on premix fuel was not really benefitting the fishermen as they ended up buying it at an exorbitant price.
Therefore, it would be proper to set aside some of the money used to subsidize the fuel to safeguard their future.
He noted that it is sad to close the season for weeks without providing the affected fisherfolks insurance as a means or alternative to secure them while observing the closure.
“Artisanal fishermen are peasant farmers, their daily food depends on the catch they make, so, closing the sea for a month without providing them any alternative or insurance would not work,” he stated.
He added that waiting for a few days to the end of the season to share a five kilo of rice with the fishermen is not enough incentive to encourage them to observe the close season.
He expressed regret that most of the arable lands in the coastal areas especially in the Greater Accra Region had been turned into housing infrastructure depriving fisherfolks the alternative to farm during the close season as hitherto done which served as livelihood during lean seasons.
Mr. Amarfio said it is sad that even though the fishing sector employed about ten percent of the country’s population, fisherfolks are among the poor in society due to mismanagement of the sector.
Mr. Gilbert Sam, Administrator of the Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association (GITA) on his part, called on the government to look especially at the fishing industry just as it puts in special programmes for farmers.
Mr. Sam said the government could invest in robust fishing vessels to cater for the numerous canoes on the country’s seas just as it budgets and acquire tractors and other equipment for farmers to enhance their work, instead of focusing on enforcements of its policies without any mitigating measures for the fisher-folks.
Mr. Francis Ameyibor, GNA Tema Regional Manager, explained that the stakeholder engagement which comes on the last Wednesday of every month is a progressive media caucus platform created to give the opportunity to both state and non-state stakeholders to interact with journalists and address national issues.
He said modern journalism practices demand a comprehensive dynamic approach to issues that affected society, through which the media must provide a platform for proactive engagement and exchange of ideas towards shaping national development.
