The 2012 national best fisherfolk, Mrs Eva Atitsogbui has encouraged the youth to go into agriculture especially fishing because it is a very lucrative and honoring profession.
Mrs. Atitsogbui who described the industry as ‘very booming’ said fishers can rely on it for “future security.”
According to her, she was very happy to have won the 2012 national best fisherfolk award due to the exposure she enjoyed “to the extent that customers now come from all parts of the country such as Takoradi, Accra, Kumasi among others to buy her fish at Dzemeni in the Dzemeni District of the Volta Region.
Speaking in an interview with Captain Adabuga during the Rite Morning Show, the award winner said that she took the fishing business from her late father whom she used to follow to fishing, something she has never regretted.
This she added is because the profession has aided her to educate some of her children to the highest level.
Mrs. Atitsogbui therefore pleaded with her colleague fisher folks who resort to the use of chemicals and other illegal means including the use of mosquito nets in fishing since illegal fishing activities are destroying the sector.
The Fishing sector of the country plays an important role contributing significantly to national economic development objectives related to employment, livelihood support, poverty reduction, food security, foreign exchange earnings and resource sustainability.
Fish is a preferred source of animal protein in Ghana, and about 75 percent of the total domestic production of fish is consumed locally.
The per capita consumption is estimated to be about 25 kg per annum.
Over 2 million fishermen, processors and traders participate in this sector.
These and their dependants amount to about 10% of the population.
Fish is the country’s most important non-traditional export commodity and the fisheries sub-sector accounts for about 5 percent of the agricultural GDP. Export earnings from fish and fishery products on average account for approximately 60 million US Dollars annually.
Source: Prince Paul Amuzu/ritefmonline.org/princeamuzu667@gmail.com
