The devices, distributed by the Ghana Investment for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) as part of its ICT for Fishing Project, were made up of 118 fish finders and 48 Global Positioning System (GPS) devices.

The project is a nationwide campaign by GIFEC, the Fisheries Commission and the National Canoe Fishermen Council, to encourage the use of technology in locating shoals of fish and harvesting only the matured ones.

It is also to reduce the cost of fishing and mitigate the depleting fish stock in Ghana’s territorial waters, by decreasing the harvest of fingerlings and the use of unorthodox fishing methods such as light, explosives and chemicals and undersized nets.

Interacting with the press at the end of the three-day capacity building workshop in Cape Coast at the weekend, during which the devices were distributed,  Mr. Andrews Akiti, the Technical Manager of GIFEC, said the beneficiaries who are all canoe owners were selected by their leaders.

The fish finder, a device that helps locate fish underwater by detecting reflected pulses of sound energy would assist fishermen to reduce the amount of fuel for fishing expeditions because they would no longer roam the seas in search of fish.

Nana Kodwo Mbea, Chief Fisherman of British Komenda, thanked GIFEC and stakeholders for the initiative.

From Jonathan Donkor, Cape Coast