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The National Premix Fuel Committee (NPFC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) has outlined plans to phase out the use of wood for the construction of canoes for Ghanaian Fishermen.

Accordingly, the NPFC has commenced negotiations with local and foreign firms for the construction of Fibre Glass canoes for the artisanal Fishermen in the country in line with the global trend for prudent environmental governance.
The new policy was disclosed by Mr. Kweku Sersah-Johnson, Chairman of the National Premix Fuel Committee in an interaction with Fishermen and Fishmongers at Jama Tokor in Bole Bamboi District and Akanyakrom, near Bui  in the the Northern and Brong Ahafo Regions as part of a familiarization tour of Landing Beaches in the country.

The Chairman said it had become necessary for Ghana as a country to take issues to do with climate change more seriously and to take concrete steps to fight the deforestation and to protect fauna and sauna for environmental sustainabilty.

Mr. Sersah-Johnson said the Government considers the wellfare of  Fishermen and Fishmongers as one of its major priorities and that is why it continues to subsdize the Premix fuel to make it affordable and available for the use of the Fishermen in addition to allowing them to use part of the margins on the sale of the Premix for the development of the fishing communities.

He disclosed that the Premix Committee was also in discussion with the Ministry of Fisheries and other stakeholders to roll out a massive sanitation project for the coastal and inland fishing communities to put up state of the art toilet facilities and bath houses for the people in those areas.

The sanition programme, according to the Chaiman, is expected to be a Public/Private/Partnership (PPP) and Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement which will enable the communities to own the facilities eventually.

Mr. Sersah-Johnson was accompanied on the tour by Mr. Nemorius Ner-Nye Peng-Yir,of the Fisheries Commission and Mr. Jacob Tetteh Ageke of the National Inland Canoe Fishermen Council, both members of the NPFC.