MINISTER CUTS SOD FOR TWO LANDING SITES AT DZEMENI (PAGE 23)

THE Minister of Fisheries, Mrs Gladys Asmah, has cut the sod for the construction of two landing sites on the banks of the Volta Lake at Dzemeni in the South Dayi District and Tapa Abotoase in the Jasikan District.
The projects form part of the infrastructural development agenda for the fisheries sector by the government under which 14 fishing harbours and landing sites are to be constructed.
She also inaugurated the Lake Region Fishermen Association embracing inland fishermen around the Volta Region from Akosombo to Buipe in the north.
Mrs Asmah said the prosperity envisioned in providing those landing sites should make the lives of fishermen comfortable and successful and provide them a long-term future, adding, “With the provision of these facilities, fish will no longer be thrown into the sea during bumper harvests but preserved to cut down on post-harvest losses.
She said the projects also underscored the need to strengthen food security as a component of poverty reduction in fishing communities and asked the beneficiary communities to support the projects to a smooth completion.
Mrs Asmah announced that the ministry had developed a national fisheries and aquaculture policy document expected to serve as the blueprint for the management of fisheries resources and the development of aquaculture, adding that it would be the first comprehensive policy document on the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
In an address, the Deputy Minister for Transportation, Mr Magnus Opare-Asamoah, cautioned fishermen against the over-exploitation of children in the fishing industry and said they should rather send their children to school.
He said the ministry was committed to the improvement of roads from fishing and farming communities to link marketing centres, saying roads from the Volta Lake and the Afram Plains would be tackled as priority.
The Interim Chairman of the association, Mr Castro Mediale, said the association was a historic formation, adding that the biggest challenge was to ensure sustainability in production through simple fishing practices.
He said the association would also focus on the development of an alternative livelihood for fishermen during the fishing off season and that they could diversify into dry season farming to make life comfortable for members.
Mr Mediale appealed to the authorities to extend credit facilities to the members for the procurement of outboard motors and fish processing equipment.
In a welcoming address, the South Dayi District Chief Executive, Mrs Woyram Boachie-Danquah, said a landing site for the district was long overdue, adding that undertaking such a project in a viable Dzemeni market along the Volta Lake would enrich the people in the district.