Saltpond, June 22, GNA - Ms Janet Ennin, Mfantseman District Officer of the Department of Community Development, has advised fishmongers to cultivate the habit of saving.

She said this would help them to get assistance from the banks to make ends meet during the lean fishing season. Ms Ennin said the situation where they sold their hard won personal belongings at very reduced prices to get money to feed their husbands and children was not the best. Speaking at a meeting with fishmongers at Saltpond, she said what was prevailing in some of the fishing communities was that the men went on fishing expedition with what they called "sea bags", which were used to collect some fish for the family. The wives were expected to sell some of the fish and used the rest for their meals.

Ms Ennin said the women were expected to use part of the proceeds from the sale of the fish in the "sea bags" to provide the needs of their children including school fees and uniforms. "The woman is expected to feed the husband through out the off-fishing season. So when the little that she is able to put aside during the fishing season gets exhausted the woman has to raise loans to feed the family," she noted. Ms Ennin said where she was unable to get loans with high interests, the woman had to sell her personal belongings at cheaper price to save the family from dying of hunger. She said to bail the fishmongers from their predicament, her department had embarked on an outreach programme to educate them on some income generating activities, which they could do to get money during the lean season.

They included pomade, soap, powder and beads making. She said they were also taught how to grow mushrooms and snail farming.