Provide land for premix automation – Minister tells Tema fishermen

Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD), has reiterated a request to the leadership of the Tema Canoe Beach to provide land to facilitate the automation of pre-mix fuel distribution to fishermen.

Madam Koomson said the failure of the leadership to provide the land would force the ministry to stop supplying the Tema Canoe Basin with the pre-mix fuel.

She said this when some fishers raised concerns over the alleged unavailability of the pre-mix fuel when she visited the basin to distribute some food items to the fishers to cushion them during the close season.

She said places such as Nungua, Chorkor, Anomabo, and Elmina where automation was being used for distribution had no challenges or issues of hoarding, and artificial shortages did not exist.

“If you won’t give me land for the automation, very soon I will also give you premix,” she stressed.

The supply and distribution of pre-mix fuel was introduced in 1994 with the objective of powering outboard engines and helping artisanal fishermen increase their catch; however, due to it being subsidised, there had been issues of artificial shortages and hoarding as people want to cash in.

To help solve this problem, the automation of the distribution process was introduced by the ministry in 2023 for the pre-mix to be provided to those who needed it for its intended purpose.

Meanwhile, Nii Adjeirteh Mator, Tema Ashaman Chief Fisherman, responding to the minister’s request, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that they located a site that would be suitable for automation, but unfortunately it belonged to a food vendor.

Nii Mator added that the leadership of the canoe beach was still looking for a good place and would ensure they got one immediately.

Source: GNA