The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has presented 4,665 work equipment to support the livelihoods of fisherfolks along coastal communities in the Greater Accra Region on Thursday.
The equipment, comprises 1,424 sewing machines, 1,666 hair dryers and 1,575 barbering kits to be given to fishers who underwent skills training a few months ago.
The government, in an effort to rescue Ghana’s fisheries sector, has introduced a plethora of measures including the closed fishing season and a moratorium on new canoes which are inevitably taking a toll on the fisherfolks.
According to the Sector Minister, Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson, the intervention was part of activities to ensure an increase in fish stock, while farmers lived on other alternative businesses.
She disclosed that 8,000 fishers from selected coastal communities would be trained and equipped with tools to establish businesses in diverse fields, adding that, the initiative is a significant step towards improving livelihoods, fostering economic resilience and strengthening coastal communities.
The President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, Nana Joojo Solomon, noted that the gesture was a clear sign that the government had felt the plights of fishers.
“It is an intervention in the right direction and it eliminates every breach of human rights. During the closed season when you are asking people not to go to sea, these interventions will ensure that there is no human rights abuse in our attempt to recover the fisheries industry,” he added.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD