Algae hampers fishing in Ellembelle

Fisher folks in the Ellembelle District and environs have expressed worry over the presence of algae which have taken over the sea for the past 8 months.

The situation has stagnated economic activities of fishermen in the area as they find it difficult to undertake fishing expeditions.

The Acting Chairman of Kakyevole Co-operative Fishermen Society in the Ellembelle District, Egya Baidoo, disclosed this during a meeting with the DCE for Ellembelle, Mr Daniel K. Eshun, at Nkroful in the Western Region.

He explained that due to the deteriorating nature of the situation, creditors had refused to give them loans adding that if measures were not taken to curb the menace, it could affect the health of the people who lived around the coast due to the unpleasant smell of algae.

Egya Baidoo indicated that the fishing community was convinced that the algae was a result of waste product dumped into the sea from La Cote d’Iviore and therefore called on the appropriate authorities to salvage the situation.

He appealed to the Assembly to include the schools along the coastal areas in the school feeding programme since the situation had affected them economically.

He reiterated the need for government to put measures in place to ensure that the oil exploration did not come to compound problems for fishermen in the area.

Reacting to the concerns, Mr. Eshun maintained that he was working closely with the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, to get some food relief for the fisher folks in the interim, while a lasting solution was found to the problem.

He indicated that the problem was beyond the District but gave the assurance that the Region as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Fisheries had been notified on the situation, adding that all efforts would be made to bring the situation under control.

Source: GNA