President Mahama inaugurates cold store at Shama
President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a 150-tonne cold storage facility at Shama in the Western Region for the fishing community.
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The modern storage facility, with an ice block making machine attached, is seen by the people as an initiative to boost their earnings and improve their living conditions.
The cold store will help the fisher folk to maintain the freshness of their catch to command good prices on the market.
Years of lack of a cold store in the traditional fishing community has impacted negatively on the business of the fisher folk.
President Mahama, who was on the second day of his “Accounting to the People” tour of the Western Region yesterday, said the government would ensure that the fishing industry was supported for a sustainable and profitable future.
Cutting imports
Ghana imports about 300,000 metric tonnes of fish annually because of inadequate catch.
In 2009, aquaculture produced 300 tonnes of fish, with the situation improving tremendously to 40,000 tonnes currently.
President Mahama said the government was investing heavily in the fishing industry, including aquaculture, to address the shortfall in fish production.
Equipment
He said the government would continue to provide equipment for fishermen to enhance their work.
With the major fishing season just about two months away, the President said the government was importing 1,000 outboard motors for distribution to fishermen.
Under a payment arrangement, the government will bear 30 per cent of the cost of the outboard motors, while the beneficiaries will bear the remaining 70 per cent
The outboard motors have either 40 horsepower or 15 horsepower capacity.
Fishers need not be poor
The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ms Sherry Ayitey, for her part, said the government had the fishing community at heart and would continue to put in measures that would improve on their activities.
She stressed that people engaged in the fishing business need not to be poor.
President Mahama later visited the New Takoradi fishing community where he was accorded an enthusiastic welcome.