Elizabeth Afoley Quaye
The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, has distributed 300 subsidized outboard motors to fishermen in the Western Region.
The outboard motors were acquired by the ministry, in collaboration with the Coastal Development Authority (CODA), with initial funding from the African Development Bank (ADB).
At a brief ceremony to distribute the motors, the minister said the 300 were the first batch of 1,300 outboard motors set to be distributed to fishermen at subsidized prices, this year.
She indicated that the distribution was part of the President’s Fishing Inputs Support Scheme for fishers intended to boost the livelihoods of fishers and their communities.
She said it was to deepen government’s commitment in the development of the fishing industry.
“Artisanal fishing communities are generally characterized by low incomes and poor living conditions with an estimated poverty incidence of 30 per cent, which happens to be the highest in the country,” she said.
She added that the President’s scheme was, therefore, meant to provide fishing inputs and gears such as outboard motors, tricycles, assorted fishing gear, wire mesh and aluminium basins.
She mentioned that the intervention by government was also to assist fishermen to procure the outboard motors at affordable prices and that the fishermen would pay about 60 per cent while government would pay the remaining 40 per cent.
She disclosed that her ministry had planned together with stakeholders to continue with the implementation of the closed season in 2020.
“Early this year, we held stakeholder engagements but had to stop to respect the Covid-19 restrictions. As a result, there was less sensitization to help the fishers prepare for the closure at the agreed period of July to September 2020. Plans are in place to deepen the sensitization for the 2021 all fleet closed season,” she said.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, was happy that erratic supply of premix fuel which was a major challenge that confronted the industry in the region had been resolved.
He said the coastal areas of the region were also benefiting from the landing beach projects and that Axim and Dixcove were the first beneficiaries.
The Chief Fisherman of Axim, Nana Kofi Annan, praised government for the initiative and said he was excited that the current administration had honoured its promise of constructing a sea defence wall at Axim.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi