Presidential Staffer James Agyenim Boateng has discounted claims that Vice-President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has imported 20 trawlers into the country at a time when the activities of pair trawlers is a destructive force to the fishing industry.

Fishermen in the Central Region, earlier this week, lamented about the state of the country's fishing industry when Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo Addo, interacted with them during a recent tour.

They (fishermen) complained about the activities of pair trawlers which was collapsing the industry.

Pair trawling is noted to be one of the illegal fishing activities in the country.

The Chief Fisherman of Aboadze, Nana Adams, accused the Vice President of importing some 20 trawlers into the country.

“The issue of pair trawlers is destroying the industry. I am reliably told that officialdom own most of these trawlers. Indeed, I can say for a fact that the Vice President is importing 20 trawlers into the country. While we are struggling to rid our seas of pair trawlers, the Vice President is bringing in more. Over-fishing is what is destroying our seas and our fishing stocks,” Chief fisherman of Aboadze, Nana Adams, told the NPP flagbearer.

“Because the industry has collapsed, we don’t even have a cold store in Elmina. We don’t even get fish, let alone send them to cold stores for storage. This government has deliberately collapsed the fishing industry," he added.

But contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's Kokrokoo Morning Show, Mr Agyenim-Boateng, who is a Special Aide to the Vice-President, strongly refuted the claims.

He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that "there is no element of truth in the allegation. He (Vice-President Amissah-Arthur) does not even own a canoe much more an outboard motor."