Fishermen re-echo calls on government to allow light fishing

Fishermen at Komenda have expressed support for calls by their counterparts at Elmina on the government to allow them to use flash light for fishing to save the industry from collapse.

According to the fishermen who turned out in their numbers at a press conference at Komenda, to register their frustrations over the ban on flash lights for fishing, no research had established that the use of flash light depletes fish stock.

Nana Kwamina Atar, the Chief Fisherman of Komenda, told journalists that when the right net was used little fishes that got into the net could escape and therefore there was nothing wrong with light fishing.

He said after the ban, they had made several efforts to fish without light but they incurred huge fuel debts as they returned from their trips empty handed.

The secretary of the Komenda Fishermen’s Council, Mr Joseph Aggrey Cudjoe, said several appeals to successive governments to construct a landing beach for them had turned on deaf years.

He said he was optimistic that their appeals to President John Atta Mills would be heeded soon to help boost the fishing industry.

Mr Cudjoe said part of the profits from the sale of pre-mix fuel had been used to construct an office which is nearing completion while a toilet project is underway.

Source: GNA