Participants present at the Mobilizing Action for Agricultural Sector Improvement, MAASI workshop at Asesewa in the Eastern region have unanimously agreed that there was the need for Upper Manya Krobo to have its own fisheries department to facilitate the needs of fisher folk in the district.
The participants including the District Chief Executive, honourable J.T. Angmor, the District Coordinating Director, Mr. James Armah Tandoh, the District Director of Agriculture, Mr. Geoffrey K.Honu as well as Farmer Based Organizations, FBOs among others have agreed that with a good number of its people in active fishing, establishing an office for them was in their best interest.
A representative of the fisher folk at the MAASI workshop raised the concern that he and his colleagues relied on the fisheries office in Atimpoku in the Asuogyaman district of the eastern region for services and assistance.
The concerned fisher folk said Upper Manya was blessed with a long stretch of the Volta basin which was an indication of what vast opportunities laid for fish farming.
But responding to the call, the District Director of Agriculture said the problem began with the separation of the fisheries ministry from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. He said this development meant that the Department of Agriculture no longer had oversight responsibilities over fisheries and that the fisheries ministry should live up to its responsibility of providing an outreach office for its fishermen.
Participants agreed that since revenue from fisheries can be of great value to the local economy, the fisheries ministry must step in to fix the challenge as soon as possible with the expectation on MAASI to help resolve this.
Source: ritefmonline.org
