Save Storm-Affected Fishermen in Effutu. By: Romeo Adzah Dowokpor Fishing activities along the coast of Central Region have been badly hit by heavy storms in the wake of the raining season, causing huge financial losses to fishermen, fishmongers and other dependent businesses. It is estimated that the destruction of canoes alone in the Effutu Constituency in the Central Region due to the heavy storms amounted to GH¢400,000. The situation is gravely affecting the livelihoods of the fishermen, leaving many of them to helplessly fend for themselves. This came to light in Parliament Thursday, when the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effutu Constituency, Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin read a statement on the floor of the House on the state of fishing activities in his constituency. He appealed to government through the Ministry of Fisheries to come to the aid of the affected fishermen and stated that:” The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, should mobilise the various insurance companies to come out with an insurance policy that will suit the fisher-folks across the country; so that in the event of such incidents, they could be compensated to enable them reorganise their activities” Mr. Afenyo-Markins added that the immediate intervention of government would be very useful, since the affected fishermen who are breadwinners of their families are now struggling to provide for them, not to even talk about continuing their usual fishing activities The Effutu MP also called on government to put adequate measures in place to solve the perennial premix fuel challenges in the fishing sector; and also to expedite action on its promise of constructing landing beach sites. This, he said, has the potential of transforming the sector with its associated auxiliary industries with the capacity of employing many youth and generating revenues that would go a long way to put monies in the pockets of the people by improving their livelihoods. Contributing to the statement, Mr. Joe Gidisu, MP for Central Tongu, stated that the situation was of a national concern and not peculiar to fishing communities along the coast alone but also in inland fishing areas. He stated that government can not shoulder all the burdens of fisher folks since it has limited resources to address other developmental challenges of the country. The former Roads and Highways minister called for vigorous educative programmes like the need for the fisher folks to have insurance policies to cover their activities among others in order to stem the tide of perennial losses they have been incurring. therepublicgh/story
Posted on: Tue, 04 Jun 2013 06:04:13 +0000
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