Prampram-Ghana, Nov. 16, GNA – Nene Sorsey Quarshie VI, Lower Prampram Chief Fisherman has called on the government to construct a mini harbour at Prampram Landing beach to help protect the work of fishers.
Nene Quarshie in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Prampram said the current state of the landing beach at Lower Prampram was endangering the operations of the over 300 canoes operating from the beach.
He said they urgently needed a breakwater as according to him; the landing beach becomes dangerous when the sea turned rough as they have their canoes being destroyed by the waves when they must land at the place after a fishing expedition.
Touching on other challenges he pleaded with the government to ensure a constant supply of premix fuel to enable artisanal fishers to ply trade adding that the inability to supply the fuel rendered them unemployed.
Nene Quarshie revealed that the fishers were resorting to the use of super (petrol) mixed with other oils including engine oil as an alternative to the premix fuel.
He said due to the unavailability of the premix fuel, fishers had no option but to rely on other oils to run their activities saying the supply of the premix had been a big challenge for them.
He said to sustain themselves, and their dependents, they had to spend more on getting alternative fuel, which he said also affected the price of the fish they sold.
He explained that in a week a canoe could make use of more than one drum which contains between 60 and 70 gallons of fuel for fishing as they sometimes had to go far on the sea to get fish to catch.
Mr Tetteh Ayiku, a fisher and canoe owner, on his part, complained about the rate some fishers were engaging in illegal fishing practices including light fishing, pair trawling, and dumping of dead fish into the sea.
Mr Ayiku disclosed that light fishing was often done the night to attract the fish to the nets, adding however that it led to the running away of fish from the area making, it difficult for them to catch during the day.
He stated that hook and line fishers also put dead pigs into the sea to attract the fish to eat to make it easy for them to catch them.
