The Ghana Tuna Association (GTA) has urged the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and other stakeholders to ensure that fishermen aged below 15-years are enrolled in school.
Mr. Richster Nii Armarh Amarfio, GTA Secretary who is also a Fisheries Advocate said there was the need to put such children engaged in fishing activities back to school to acquire some basic education to enable those of them with an interest in fishing to take up the profession with the needed skills and knowledge.
He added that it would also serve as a management tool that would reduce the huge numbers of artisanal fishers in the industry who were chasing the fewer fish in the country’s waters.
Mr. Amarfio was speaking at the Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office’s monthly stakeholder seminar as monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema.
“Put the young people into the classroom, teach them Arithmetic’s, English and Environmental studies, and let them understand the environment, after that those who want can be moved out and those who want fishing, understand that what they are doing can be managed.”
He said in addition to that, some form of insurance could be put in place using part of the premix fuel subsidies to create some retirement package for the elderly fishermen.