President John Dramani Mahama has observed that the vessel tracking and management information system (VTMIS) set up by the government will play a key role to check dwindling fish stock and illegal fishing activities.
Addressing a durbar of the fishing community at Elmina yesterday as part of his working visit to the Central Region, he said the negative activities of fishing
trawlers were of grave concern to the government and expressed optimism that the new system would help deal with the problem.
Last year, Ghana established the VTMIS to monitor the coastline and the Volta Lake.
The system, which has devices to check illegal fishing activities, has a control system in Accra, with area lenses in Tema and Takoradi.
President Mahama further announced that the Ministry of Fisheries was in the process of introducing a technology known as Fish Finder, which would be fixed to canoes to track fish in the waters.
He said the government was committed to injecting life into the fishing industry and promoting the livelihood of the people.
Underscoring the importance of the fishing industry to the economy, he said the industry would be supported to improve businesses.
In that regard, President Mahama said, the ministry was importing 3,000 Yamaha outboard motors for fishermen, saying that 1,000 of them had already arrived and been subsequently distributed to the fisherfolk.
He gave an assurance that the government would continue to subsidise premix to enhance the business of the fisherfolks.
He also commended the important role fishmongers played in the industry and emphasised that the Fisheries Ministry was preparing a revolving fund to support them.
The President said the Elmina Fish Processing Factory was under construction and said work was almost complete on that project.
The Chief Fishermen of Komenda, Nee Kojo Mbeah, said fishermen in the country were grateful to the President for supporting the industry.
The Omanhen of the Elmina Traditional Area, Nana Kojo Conduah, narrated how the fishing industry in the area recorded exponential growth under the present administration and stressed the need for other development projects in the area.Underscoring the importance of the fishing industry to the economy, he said the industry would be supported to improve businesses.
Source: Graphic.com.gh
