Mrs Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has distributed 200 outboard motors to fishers in the Volta Region.

The first batch of the about 5,000 outboard motors to be distributed across coastal communities in Ghana, formed part of the President’s Fishing Input Support Scheme for fishers.

It aimed to provide outboard motors at affordable prices to improve productivity.

Speaking at separate ceremonies at Adina and Keta to give out the items to the beneficiaries in the Ketu South and Keta/Anloga Municipalities respectively, Mrs Afoley Quaye said the outboard motors with a market price of about GH¢20,000.00 each, were given to beneficiaries at GH¢10,000.00 representing about a 50 percent subsidy.

She said government through MOFAD had been providing fishers with inputs and gears such as tricycles, assorted fishing gear, wire mesh, aluminum basins and ovens to support their livelihoods.

The Minister, also Member of Parliament for Krowor Constituency, said government had carried out infrastructural development projects across fishing communities in Ghana including Axim, Lower Dixcove and Anloga, continuing with new ones to develop the Sector.

“Perform best practices at sea,” to justify government’s expenditure in the industry,” she said.

Mrs Afoley Quaye hinted of collaborative fishing management, which would involve all stakeholders including traditional leaders as the wayforward to ending ‘saiko’ (illegal fish trans-shipments) and other Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices to save the country's fisheries sector from collapse.

Madam Ruby Adukpo, representing National Fish Processors and Traders Association (NAFPTA), Volta Region, decorated the Minister as Mama Dunenyo I of Dzelukope with ‘kente’ as a demonstration of the Association’s love for her works in the Region and the country.

Torgbui Seth Abotsi, Volta Regional Chief fisherman, was grateful for the intervention and called on other colleague fishers not to use the opportunity to engage in unpatriotic ventures to rob the state.

He appealed to government to expedite action to extend the sea defense wall around Agavedzi-Blekusu to reach Adina and other areas to secure the coastline from tidal waves insurgents in future.

Mr Godwin Edudzi Effah, Municipal Chief Executive for Keta, said he was delighted with the distribution exercise and said more would come in the ensuing weeks to ensure all payees got their allocations.

He noted that the gesture formed part of other good things the Akufo-Addo led government was bringing to the people.

Reverend Johnson Avuletey, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, called on the people of the Region to shift camps to retain the ruling New Patriotic Party in the upcoming December polls for more people-centred policies.