Accra, Aug. 28, GNA - Fishermen operating on the sea would now be required to put on live jackets, the Ministry of Fisheries on Tuesday said when it took its turn at the Meet the Press series held in Accra. Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister for Fisheries said the decision was to avert the loss of lives and property whenever fishermen go fishing on the high seas.

Announcing the steps being taken by the Ministry to meet some challenges facing the fishing industry Mrs Asmah said: "we are modernizing fishing fleet equipment as well as gear." According to the Minister, her outfit was partnering with an Indian company, Fibroplast Marine, to manufacture fibreglass boats in Tema. "Fishermen who want their old canoes to be clad with fibreglass can have them."

In addition, Mrs Asmah said the company would also manufacture marine related equipment such as life jackets, lifebuoys and fish finders. "Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and oars would also be produced for both the Ghanaian market as well as those on the West African coast." To regularize the marine fleet structure of the country, Mrs Asmah said the ministry was "cleaning up" the marine register to enable them to know the number of marine vessels in operation and the kind of fishing they were engaged in.

Mrs. Asmah noted that under Fisheries Act 625, the Minister could make regulations that might deal with specific issues such as the approved gear and methods of fishing, adding that the drafting of a new regulation under the fisheries Act had been completed and submitted to Parliament to be passed.

The Minister said a new Fisheries Commission would soon be inaugurated to assist the Ministry to regulate and manage resources of fisheries. She observed that protection of marine waters was a shared responsibility that needed to be performed by Ministries of Fisheries, Defence, Interior, Ports Harbours and Railways and National Security. Mrs. Asmah said the ministry had concluded discussions with the Chinese government to assist in purchasing tow patrol boats for effective surveillance.

She said government has released five billion cedis to support aquaculture, especially to train people in Pond Construction as well as providing them with credit facilities to purchase fingerlings and feed to begin business.

In the area of credit support, the Minister said over 10,000 fishmongers had been provided with two million cedis each to promote their businesses.

Mrs. Asmah said the Ministry in 2005 and 2006 supplied 530 outboard motors to fishermen and the provision of credit facilities that made the industry recording an increase in growth.