Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, has called on the fishing community to disregard speculations about the shortage of premix fuel.
Ms Quaye’s rebuttal follows reports that shortage of premix fuel has hit parts of the Western and Central Regions.
Interacting recently with journalists, the Minister, who is also MP for Krowor, noted that most of the fishermen had made their requests formally known to the National Premix Secretariat for consideration.
She said though the Premix Fuel Secretariat had placed the order for the fuel, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) that produces the product is having problems with its pumps.
“We are in the fishing season and the demand for premix fuel has risen and there are lots of orders from the fishermen. But unfortunately, the pumps of TOR are slow in filling the tanks,” she revealed.
She pointed out that the leadership of TOR held a meeting with the leadership of the Premix Fuel Secretariat to fashion out ways of improving the delivery of the fuel.
She called on the fisher folks not to panic as the ministry was in position to ensure regular supply of premix fuel for them to go about their business.
“Supply of premix fuel to the fisher folks will continue to be stable in order for the business of fishing during this peak fishing season to thrive,” she stressed.
For instance, some fishermen in Upper and Lower Dixcove of the Western Region, claimed they were contemplating relocating to Ivory Coast to ply their trade there since they cannot get premix fuel in Ghana.
According to them, the months of July and August were their bumper harvest seasons and so they expect that enough premix would be available to enable them experience bumper catch, particularly during the peak season.
“But for the past three to four weeks, we have not had a single drop of premix,” the fishermen asserted.
The purported shortage of the product, according to some of the fishermen, had forced some colleagues to relocate to Ivory Coast for their fishing activities.
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