Our fish is safe: Western Region fisher folks declare
Fishmongers at Lower Dixcove in the Ahanta West District in the Western Region have embarked on a peaceful demonstration to draw attention to the negative impact that a statement made by a minister of state accusing the fishing community in the region of using formalin in preserving their fish, has had on their businesses.
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The women say the statement has led to the rejection of their fish on the market by the public.
It will be recalled that early this month, a Ghana News Agency report indicated that fish consumers in Ghana risked contracting various diseases, following an allegation that fisher folk at Axim were using formalin, a chemical used for embalming corpses, to preserve fish.
The report attributed the statement to Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, who went on a visit to Shama to interact with stakeholders in the fisheries sector on a new insurance policy for fishermen.
The women, wearing red armbands and chanting war songs, marched to the palace of the paramount chief for Lower Dixcove, Nana Kwesi Agyeman, who calmed them down and called on the President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, to instruct the minister to retract his statement.
Nana Agyeman assured the women that the issue would further be taken up by the traditional authorities, and said the deputy minister should retract the statement within a month in order to repair the image of the fishing industry at Lower Dixcove.
During their demonstration, the fishmongers said the deputy minister should have investigated the matter “before using his high office to confirm a rumour”.
They claimed that the action of the deputy minister had resulted in huge losses, a situation which had plunged them into serious debt.
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The leader of the fishmongers, Madam Joana Koomson, said the main market for their fish was Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
“Since the minister came out to say that fishermen along the coast of the Western Region were using formalin, our clients, particularly those in our main markets, have rejected our fish,” said Madam Koomson.
According to her, many of them were currently saddled with several baskets full of rejected decaying fish sitting in their homes.
She said the fisher folks were now faced with financial difficulties as many were unable to meet the needs of their families with others lacking the means to fuel their fishing boats.
Mr Isaac Simon Bassaw, the Secretary to the Fisheries Company Management, a coastal fishing group formed to protect the interest of fishermen and fishmongers at Upper Dixcove, said the story attributed to the deputy minister was having a negative effect on the operations of its members as well.
At Apowsika, near Axim, Mr Mike Abaka, a fisherman, expressed concern about the unfortunate statement, saying the fishmongers there also returned from the market with the same message.
“Now our women are in debt, they cannot pre-finance our operations again. We want the media to tell people our fish is safe,” he said.
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu