The Central and Western Fishmongers Improvement Association (CEWEFIA) has partnered with the Environmental Justice Foundation, central region, to conduct a market survey for value-added fish and fish products.
A vulnerability study was also conducted with the aim of screening households and identifying those vulnerable to extreme poverty.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ATL FM NEWS, the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager for CEWEFIA, Michael Takyi expressed that poverty leads to frustration, which causes women to go to work while carrying their children along.
He also added that as a result of poverty, most men and women face various forms of abuse where their spouses beat them up when they get home due to frustration.
Findings from the market survey for value-added and fish products as well as the vulnerability study are expected to guide CEWEFIA and her partners to provide tailored livelihood support to identified vulnerable households in some selected communities.
As a result, Mr. Takyi notes that CEWEFIA has selected victims who face these problems with the aim to build their capacity in value-added fish.
“Our plan is to not tamper with their ways of fishing but to simply build their capacity,” he said.
According to him, the survey was also done to provide creative alternatives to fishermen and fishmongers to learn more skills on value-added fish to generate substantial income to end poverty amongst fisher folks.
CEWEFIA Research centered on value-added fish revealed consumer preference led to the realization that supermarkets and consumers prefer fish powder, which can be used for shito, proper packaging, and excellent preservation of fish.
As such Mr. Michael Takyi says his office has spoken to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to consider and approve fish powder produced by these fisher folks.
“We have also introduced a certification and licensing scheme for fish smokers which is constantly being announced by the government of Ghana. This license will be given out to all fish smokers in Ghana,” he continued.
Meanwhile, the project coordinator for the sustainable oceans project and fisheries programmes manager for Environmental Justice Foundation, Theophilus Boakye Yiadom expressed that the sustainable oceans project has the goal of building grassroots capacity for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.
He notes that the main aim of the project is to ensure that fishermen, leaders of fisher groups, and fish processors have the necessary capacity to support policy development and cause policy changes that will be beneficial to the fisheries in Ghana.
This he says will lead to a well-improved system with inclusivity of fishers to help benefit the fishery system in Ghana.
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Source: Comfort Sweety Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
