NPP Risk Losing Over 2 Million Votes In Coastal Communities – Fishermen Council

The Western Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC) says President Nana Akufo-Addo and those in the fishing industry should enforce the law to bring transhipment activities to a halt.

Mike Abakah-Edu said the uncontrolled activities of trawlers and illegal transhipment activities aka “Saiko” currently going on in their waters, deprived artisanal fisher folks involved in the artisanal fishing sector of their livelihoods, making them poorer.

According to Mr Abakah-Edu, this illegal activity affected the livelihoods of more than 2.7 million Ghanaians.

He noted that the infrastructural improvement, undertaken by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in the Western Region, especially along the coastal districts of the region like landing beach sites, sea defence and roads among others may not translate into votes for the party in the December 7, polls if Saiko remains unchecked.

Abakah-Edu recounted that Chapter 718 of the 2020 Budget Statement revealed the Government’s resolution to ban all domestic and international vessels found to be engaged in illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing in Ghana’s territorial waters.

He lamented that the situation may result in a rise in social vices and crime within the fishing communities and society in general.

The Western Regional Secretrary, therefore, made a passionate appeal to President Akufo-Addo to bring to end activities of the industrial pair trawlers engaged in illegal transshipment of fishing in their waters.

He reminded government of the recent peaceful protest embarked on by the members of GNCFC in a bid to register their displeasure against the menace at Apewosika near Axim in the Nzema East Municipal Assembly (NEMA) in the Western Region.

Earlier in March, the fisher folks who were joined by other branches of the GNCFC in the region hoisted red flags on their canoes and walked from their homes to the beach clad in red holding placards with the inscription, “Stop Saiko Now” to drum home their grievances.

The fishmongers on their part cited July to September as their bumper harvest time, however, Saiko had made it impossible to reel in enough fish to sustain their livelihoods and appealed to the Fisheries Commission and the government to take swift steps to address their concern.