The deputy minister-designate for fishery and aquaculture development, Moses Anim, has assured that the issue of hoarding in the fishery sector will be fixed.
Speaking during his vetting today, June 4, 2021, Mr. Anim averred that relevant stakeholder will be consulted in fixing the problem.
“I think that when we get there,;together with all the major stakeholders and relevant state agencies,;we will come together and find a nice way in making sure that we solve the problem.
“Because when you look at the budget, the 2021 budget put it that in 2020,;government released large litres of premix so why should there be complains? It means that the issue that we are raising is very critical. When we get there, I will assist my minister in consolidating stakeholders and government to see how best we can avoid the hoarding as well.”
Moses Anim
Touching on the issue of transshipment which is causing Ghana to lose a lot of revenue and also killing fishermen, Mr. Anim stated that he will assist the Minister to establish zero tolerance for transshipment.
He said this will enable fishermen gain maximum benefits from their effort and preventing the foreign vessels from ploughing the waterbodies.
“I will assist my minister to establish zero tolerance for transshipment. And we can do that through the relevant agencies, application and implementation of the laws. We really have to beef up the monetary and control surveillance system. As I speak to you, we are upgrading the vessel monitoring system and we are trying to link a local data centre so that we can use that system as a surveillance means to easily detect what is happening on the high sea.”
Moses Anim
Identification cards being tried
Speaking on the premix sector which has faced a lot of problems, Mr. Anim further revealed that a canoe identification card to enable the operators get adequate fuel is being tried.
“I believe there are some gains that have been chopped so far. The situation is not one that we can throw our hands in the air. Already, there has been an identification of diversion and the tracking system was used to at least reduce that challenge.
“At a point, the problem came to the landing site. Now the canoe identification for the marine side, we are trying to put in the canoe identification card in the bi-code system where we could have a quota for the registered industrial players so that at least, they will have a landing site where there is a filling station where you will go with your quota; If you exhaust it that will be it.”
Moses Anim
Mr. Anim posited that, this will support the Fisheries minister to streamline operations of the premix sector in order for the fishermen to benefit from the objectives of government in subsidizing and making available to the fishermen the fuel for their business.
He also assured that he will do his best to assist the Mister for Aquaculture and Fisheries in ensuring that the ministry accelerates the contribution of fisheries to the national development.
