Some fishermen at Vodza, a predominantly fishing community in the Keta Municipality of the Volta region are appealing to the government through the Ministry of Fisheries and Aqua Culture Development (MFaACD) to urgently assist them with finance to reconstruct and mend their damaged canoes and fishing NETS. This follows the ravaging tidal waves that swept through their coast between Sunday 24th and Tuesday 26th of April 2022.
In a letter addressed to the sector Minister and copied to the relevant departments, the fishermen said the waves were so devastating that it destroyed six canoes and fishing nets belonging to six fishing companies operating at the Vodza Landing Beach.
According to the fishermen, the total cost of the damage is estimated at about three hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (300,000,00). This unfortunate situation they say is adversely affecting their livelihoods as many of the youth who were employed by the affected companies are now idle and loitering about.
The incident they say is also taking a toll on the women and mothers who are mostly fishmongers and who rely heavily on their (fishermen) daily catch for their trade.
“We are therefore passionately appealing to the government through you to come to our rescue and to support us with subsized fishing gear (nets, wood etc) or with financial assistance (soft loans) to acquire these fishing equipment which have been destroyed in the wake of the tidal waves to enable us stay afloat and to resume our work to continue to supply the fish needs of not only the Keta Municipality but the rest of the country, ” the letter noted.
Read full letter below:
By Nelson Ayivor & HP Kumako