Acute premix fuel shortage hits fishermen

Fishing activities in the fishing communities in the country have been crippled by shortage of premix fuel.

For close to four months, fisher folks are unable to access premix fuel for their fishing activities and this has brought untold hardships.

The shortage of premix fuel is due to the government's inability to settle debts owed to Bulk Distribution Companies (BDCs) that supply the fuel.

Many fishermen have parked their canoes while few have turned to buying petrol and mixing it with engine oil to power their canoes for fishing to survive.

The situation the fishermen said is seriously affecting the local economy.

Some fishermen in the coastal communities were gradually grinding to a halt due to the shortage of the product.

They said they could not get the product to buy even though they had money to purchase the fuel at the current price of GH¢150 per gallon.

The National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG) has raised concerns over a shortage of premix fuel.

According to the fishermen Association's secretary, Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio, the artificial challenges affecting the premix supply chain are dire and consequential and have gotten fishers across the country agitated.

The fishermen appealed to the government to make pre-mix fuel available to enable its members to secure their livelihoods during the fishing season.

In a statement, the association said While NAFAG appreciates the current situation on the issues of the cost of fuel generally across all sectors, NAFAG wish to state that fishing is seasonal and that during such periods, it's important to ensure all fishing inputs are readily available for fishers to go about their business without hindrance.

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