C/R: premix fuel supply suspended in four communities
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) has suspended the supply of premix fuel indefinitely to four Landing Beach Communities (LBCs) in the Central Region due to illegal fishing activities in those areas.
The affected areas are British Komenda, Moree, Abandze and Dago.
The administrator of the National Premix Fuel Secretariat, Nana Abrokwa Asare, explained in a statement that the decision was a punitive measure for light fishing and other illegal fishing practices by fishermen in the area during the closed season.
The secretariat said it had taken notice of premix fuel, which is subsidised by the government, regrettably being used to fuel generators for the illicit practice of light fishing.
The Fisheries Ministry and its agencies have observed that these practices harm marine stock and industry growth and open the country up to sanctions by international bodies.
It said Ghana was nearly sanctioned by the European Union (EU), and it continues to be at risk of a potential ‘red card’, which would indicate an outright ban from exports of fish to the European market should these illegal activities continue.
Fisherfolk react
However, the President of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana, Nana Kweigya, has expressed concern over the directive.
According to him, the punishment was selective enforcement of the laws on illegalities in the fisheries sector, as illegalities, including the use of monofilament nets and undersized nets, were going on in many other fishing communities.
“There is no fishing community in Ghana where there is no illegality. In every fishing community, there is one illegality or the other,” he said in an interview with the Daily Graphic.
READ ALSO: Punish Culprits Who Diverge Premix Fuel, Fertilizer – GACC
The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) two years ago raised alarm over the acts of corruption in the agric sector, of which the fishing industry was included.
GACC bemoaned the acts of corruption such as diversion of premix fuel, fertilisers and abuse of other initiatives within the agric sector, and called on the government to institute punitive measures against persons involved in.
READ ALSO: We’ll Digitize Distribution Of Premix Fuel, Fertilizer – Bawumia