Oyster fisher folk receive certificates after training

By Kodjo
Adams, GNA
   

Accra, Sept. 27, GNA – Oyster fisher folk
of Tsokomey and Bortianor in the Greater Accra Region have received
certificates after the completion of a co-management training held in Accra.

The beneficiaries, numbering 150, were trained
for 18 months in areas of Co-Management, Ecology and the Reproductive Cycle of
the Oysters as well as their managements.

The initiative was a collaborative effort by
Sustainable Fisheries Management Project together with Development Action
Association, in partnership with the University of Cape Coast Aquaculture
Department.

Mrs Hannah Agyei-Boakye, the Greater Accra
Regional Director of Fisheries, Fisheries Commission, at the event on Wednesday,
said the sustainability of the resource was very important and urged the fisher
folk to protect the resources not just for their livelihoods but also future
investment opportunities.

She said training the fisher folk was a
challenge due to the scientific nature of the process.

Mrs Agyei-Boakye said they were trained
according to the required parameters necessary for the growth of the oysters so
they could grow to big sizes and become marketable. 

She advised the beneficiaries to use the acquired
skills to enhance their businesses and replicate it across other shores.

The Regional Director said self-compliance and
volunteerism should be the driving force amongst fisher folk to boost the
growth of oysters.     

Some of the beneficiaries expressed
satisfaction about the training and commended organisers for impacting
knowledge to boost the production of oysters.

Ms Bernice Bebli, an oyster harvester, said
work was not progressive at first since they did not know some of the effective
methods they were thought.

She said through USAID and Sustainable
Fisheries Management Project, they had acquired machines such like the
reflectometer, which they used to test the salinity of the Densu River, since
the oysters did not survive in too high or low salt.

Ms Cecilia Senu, a beneficiary, said data
collectors also moved from site to site to check for suitable areas where they
could harvest more.

She said the Bojo Beach contains lots of
oysters but one problem was the filth at the shore, which hindered the survival
of the oysters.

She called on stakeholders to go to their aid
to clean the Bojo Beach since it is the main source of their livelihood. 

GNA

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