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Omanhene for Lower Dixcove Traditional Council, Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX, has admonished fishermen to desist from embarking on fishing expedition along the nation’s oil rigs.
He noted that such practices pose potential life threats to themselves and also impede oil exploration activities.
According to him, the call was never intended to deprived fisher-folks of their livelihoods but it object is to avert any disaster and preserve the nation’s aqua system.
“Before we started oil explorations our fishermen were already fishing in these waters but because the petroleum industry has installed equipment in these areas it has become urgent for fishermen to refrain from fishing ‘to these rigs…To avert any explosion.
Omanhene Nana Agyemang IX’s comment comes on the heels of concerns expressed by engineers from Tullow Oil at the Third Local Dialogue Forum on the Voluntary Principles in Mining, Oil and Gas communities of Ghana, which was held in Takoradi, Western Region.
The forum, which was organised by West African Network for Peace Building in collaboration with the Fund For Peace seeks to attract stakeholders in the mining industry civil society organisations, chiefs, district assemblies, the security agencies and assembly members to brainstorm and deliberate on ways to utilise the nation’s resources without jeopardising the environment.
Country Director of WANEP-Ghana, Mr Albert Yelyang, assured that her outfit, with Fund for Peace, was committed to supporting Ghana to implement the Voluntary Principles.
He however, commended the stakeholders for making significant inputs and said those would inform policy makers and the government to make better decisions for the mining and oil sector.