Some of the fishermen on their fishing expedition yesterday
Fishermen in the ancient coastal town of Axim in the Western Region have expressed their gratitude to the government for the regular supply of pre-mix fuel to the area.
It would be recalled that in November last year when DAILY GUIDE visited the area, the fishermen decried the shortage of premix fuel which they said was adversely affecting their work.
They asserted that even though they had money to purchase the fuel at that time, they could not get the product to buy.
However, speaking to DAILY GUIDE in an interview yesterday, Francis Kwofie Jnr., Secretary to the Canoe Owners in Axim, said they are grateful to the government for the current regular and prompt supply of pre-mix fuel to the fishermen in the area even though the quantity can be increased.
He attributed the regular supply of the product to the fishermen partly to the hard work of the new National Chairman of the pre-mix Committee, Dennis Percy Quaicoe.
He indicated that the fishermen were particularly happy that they were receiving the fuel during the main fishing season.
He also disclosed that within the week the fishermen there had received some two tanker loads of fuel adding “So there has been a regular supply of the fuel”.
He was hopeful that the profits accrued from the sale of the pre-mix fuel would be used to execute projects that will benefit the fishermen and the fishmongers as well.
Kwofie Jnr. popularly called ‘Gatuso’ told the DAILY GUIDE that the use of light and small nets for fishing by some recalcitrant fishermen was still a great challenge.
He advised his colleague fishermen not to go back to the use of light and undersized fishing nets, warning that anyone caught would be severely punished.
He also indicated that another challenge confronting the fishermen was the incessant arrest of his colleagues by the Ghana Navy for purportedly fishing at prohibited areas where some oil and gas installations are located offshore.
“I think that there should be more awareness creation on the part of the authorities concerned so that the fishermen would become more of the reasons they should not fish in those areas”, he emphasized.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi