Five time award-winning best fisherman Mr. Justice Raymond Prah has appealed to the government and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to take a second look at the ban on Saiko in Ghana waters.
Speaking on Plan B FM morning show NKOSUONSEM, Mr. Prah told Nana Yaw Abrompah that Saiko is a term used in the Ghanaian fishing industry to refer to the fish considered unwanted by industrial trawlers which are passed on (transshipped) to canoe operators at sea which initially conducted in the form of barter, involving exchange for small supplies of food and fresh water.
“After fish considered unwanted by industrial trawlers which are passed on (transshipped) to canoe operators, these fishes are taken to hinterlands to sell it at a cheaper price to individuals”
Mr. Prah explained that Saiko was a whole ministry on its own because the unwanted fish by industrial trawlers which are passed on (transshipped) to canoe operators were sent to neighboring countries and sold for money and it created employment for the youth at the coastal towns in the country but since it was banned, hardship has bedeviled fishermen and all the fishing communities.
Meanwhile, chiefs and people of Elmina crowned their Bakatue Festival with an elaborate, magnificent grand durbar and called on the government to lift the ban on Saiko.
Nana Kwadwo Conduah VI, the Omanhen of the Edina Traditional Area, who made the call, indicated that the ban had thrown many canoe fishers out of business and worsened their plights.
Saiko, the transshipment of unwanted fish by industrial trawlers to canoe operators at sea, has been proscribed by the government for its negative impact on the country’s fish stock.
The current arrangement is that such unwanted fish, not exceeding a specified quota, are sent to the Tema Harbour to be sold to fishmongers.
But Nana Conduah argued that given the kind of commercial enterprise Saiko had created, the ban should be lifted and replaced with a regulatory regime.
“Right now, our fishermen are suffering because many of them have been thrown out of business.
“Besides, the Saiko offered affordable fish to poor old men and women here but now they struggle to buy fish,” he said.
The Bakatue is the major festival of the chiefs and people of Elmina which among other activities offers prayers and appreciation to the gods for a good fishing year.
This year’s festival is on the theme: “Buy made-in-Ghana goods and use made-in-Ghana products and support Ghanaian industries and create employment for the youth”.
Indeed, this year’s celebration was considered special because it also marked the 25th anniversary of Nana Conduah as Omanhen of Edinaman.
Nana Conduah further appealed to the government to dredge the Benya Lagoon, indicating that many people were displaced anytime it overflowed its banks.
He also reminded the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to redeem his pledge to provide a school bus for the Edinaman Senior High School after he (Nana Conduah) appealed to him.
Nana was full of praise for the President for redeeming his promise to build a fishing harbor for Elmina.
He noted that throughout his father’s 30-year reign, he had always appealed for a fishing harbour and he was grateful that it had happened in his time.
Mr. Sammi Awuku, the Director General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), who represented the Vice President, indicated that even though Saiko contributed to the depletion of the fish stock, he would relay the request to the relevant authorities for consideration.
He also accepted the challenge to dredge the Benya Lagoon, indicating the current situation of the water had health implications.
He, however, urged the residents to act responsibly and desist from dumping refuse and other unwanted material into the lagoon for their survival.
“We will play a role, but citizens must also play their role,” he stressed.
Apart from the fishing harbor, Mr. Awuku further pledged that government would do more to create jobs for the youth in Elmina and adjoining communities to spur development and prosperity.
While reassuring the chief that his request for a bus would be fulfilled, he urged the people of Elmina to prioritize education.
Discussion about this post