Women are forbidden to go on fishing expeditions, but the forbidden can be the solution for a decade old fishing dilemma; chemicals for fishing.<\/p>\n
Fact is, fish stays longer in the hands of women than those who catch them. Before I go into how women are the solution, let\u2019s understand the chemicals for fishing dilemma.<\/p>\n
Fish at the drinking spot<\/strong> But no! They \u201cserve\u201d the fish with different kinds of \u201cbeer\u201d; the DDTs, the Carbides and the dynamites. At this moment, the sea starts going round for the \u201cdrunken\u201d fishes. Eventually, every life there sleeps! It is now time for the fishermen to cast their nets to trap all dead fishes. \u201cIt\u2019s a good catch\u201d, they say to themselves. But, as they rejoice, the reality that fish caught through this means comes to shore with broken flesh and sunken reddish eyes, indications that they are \u201cdrunk\u201d stays put.<\/p>\n The drunken fish<\/strong> Drunken in the hands of a woman<\/strong> Drunken at a cost<\/strong> \u201cFuse\u201d exhaled on women<\/strong> The smoked ones also break into pieces when exposed to smoke and heat, thereby affecting prices and sales. These are usually not the characteristics of a fish caught alive and well. The consumers on the market who are not so much enthused about broken dried fishes afford it at reduced prices. This promotes and deepens poverty among fishermen and the fishmongers as the quality and quantity of fish reduces.<\/p>\n Not just the cost. These women are also the first to come into direct contact with these \u201cpoisoned\u201d fishes, exposing them to the chemicals and associated risk.<\/p>\n \u201cFuse\u201d exhaled on the consumer<\/strong> Health experts warn.<\/p>\n People may be arguing therefore that why aren\u2019t all those eating these lazed fishes suffering from the health conditions stated above? You might even conclude that we have been eating it all along from only God knows when. Yes! Health expert agree. They admit that \u201cthe effects on the nervous system go once the exposure to DDT is stopped\u201d. So when these chemicals are not used again, there will be no threat to our food.<\/p>\n But think of this too: will you accept an offer to be used for an experiment in a lab? And for how long will you continue to accept it? Judge for yourselves! Again picture what happens to a habitual drunkard. Their lives become something else right?<\/p>\n As alcohol leaves traces in the drunkard, so it is for the chemicals for catching fish. Some of the chemicals may be bio accumulating in our tissues, first in the tissues of the fish, and then it\u2019s transferred into our own tissues which affect our nervous system.<\/p>\n Solution lies with women<\/strong> Aba Yaa, Dixcove-Ahanta West District<\/strong> Ama Adoma, Abuesi-Shama District<\/strong> Esi Duku, Half Assini-Jomoro District<\/strong> Veronica Donkor, Bosomtwi Sam Fishing Harbor-Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis It was obvious from my interaction with them that, they believe they have a role to play in ending the menace.<\/p>\n But, there was also the fear that in times like this where fishermen return with little or no catch, they fear strict adherence to the principles of good fishing practice may get them out of business.<\/p>\n This fear, I believe can be managed by the Fisheries Commission. In their quest to end this problem, if the Fisheries Commission and its enforcement agencies will facilitate the acquisition of that test kits the mongers were referring to, it could bring an end to decade old \u201cfishing drunkenness.\u201d<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana Women are forbidden to go on fishing expeditions, but the forbidden can be the solution for a decade old fishing dilemma; chemicals for fishing. Fact is, fish stays longer in the hands of women than those who catch them. Before I go into how women are the solution, let\u2019s understand the chemicals for fishing dilemma. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":221667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[374],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nFishermen who use light for fishing are those who \u201ccarry the fish to the drinking spots\u201d. After throwing bright light into the belly of the ocean at night, many different kinds of fishes of different sizes, ages and shapes are attracted to it. In its normal sense, they could have at this stage use approved nets to trap them.<\/p>\n
\nNow, the fishes which have been lazed with \u201cpoison\u201d takes about three to four hours on sea before it gets to shore. The fishmonger close to the shore [after all that they do at the shore] gets it on fire either by boiling, frying or smoking after an hour. For those who buy the \u201cdrunken\u201d fishes to the villages, give them additional two or three hours to get the fish processed. In reality, the \u201cbeer\u201d stays in the fish for an average of 5 hours before processing begins.<\/p>\n
\nYou will agree that every fish caught locally go through the hands of a woman before it is finally consumed. She either, buys it directly at the shore and processes it [smoking, boiling, frying, salting etc] for sale or for the household or she buys it from a fellow woman on the market. These women are active \u201cvessels\u201d in the fish food chain such that, the fisherman is no man without them. In fact, they give the men reason to do all that they do at sea. But, \u201cbeer\u201d for increasing catch comes at a cost.<\/p>\n
\nThe \u201cbeer\u201d in the fishes blows two fundamental \u201cfuse\u201d. It makes fishmongers lose their investment and the associated health risk on the consumer.<\/p>\n
\nAt the shores, it is always not possible to notice that the fishes were \u201cdrunk\u201d before catching them. Perhaps they chew PK. These fish processors are faced with the trouble of identifying those that were poisoned. It is only when they have bought and taken the fish home that they realize during smoking, by which time they have already bought them. Some of the fishes actually go bad in their 5 hour stay on land before processing begins.<\/p>\n
\nConsumers tend to suffer the most from the \u201cdrinking attitude\u201d of the fisherman and the fish. \u201cPeople who swallow large amount of DDT become excitable and have tremors and seizers. They also experience sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nHow can women help stop these chemicals used for fishing? I posed this question to four women; Maame Aba Yaa is at Dixcove. She is 37 and has been in the fishing business for 16 years. Veronica Donkor is 46. She is buying fish at the Albert Bosomtwe Sam Fishing Harbor in Sekondi, Ama Adoma, 25 is at Abuesi, near Aboadze and Esi Duku is at Half Assini. She is 48. She is supervising her daughter Catherine Duku to smoke the fish. Thick smoke is emanating from the Chorkor Smoker under a shed while Catherine dips her hands into it to turn the fishes. The smoke is making her \u201ccry\u201d.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYes we can. If there is a means we can test the fish at the shores before we buy them, we could right there reject those fishes. If we reject those fishes, our men will desist from the practice. We buy whatever they bring from under the sea. What if we reject that? They will not be motivated to do that.<\/p>\n
\n\u201c\u2026I did not know it has these health problems until Friends of the Nation [an NGO] told me some time back. I only knew of sometimes my hands itching and leaving scars. I believe if we are empowered such that we can identify those caught by poisoning, we will desist from that. The fishes break as soon as you apply heat on them. We can stop the men from using the chemicals.
\nOur main problem is, if there is the guarantee that if it is stopped, we will have our supply, we can stop the men.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI remember sometime back that, government said it was going to supply us some test kits so we can test for chemicals in the fishes at the shores before we buy them home. But it\u2019s been years since I heard that. If we are that empowered, my brother, we could help stop this petrol in the fish. It\u2019s a problem for us. Look at my fingers!<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe can help them. Imagine if all the mongers in groups are empowered such that, all of us are better informed to desist from buying those fishes, we can end this phenomenon\u2026. Apart from us generally knowing that it fast track fish rotting, we did not know what you are telling me as the consequences. I also heard of some test kits, we don\u2019t know what has happened to it. If we can gunner the strength to stop buying those fishes, our men will stop using the chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nEmail: [walkerjazzy23@gmail.com]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"