Aiyinasi: The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has expressed concern about the outbreak of a disease affecting the fish stock and other aquatic life in the Rivers Ebi and Fia, posing a livelihood and existential threat to fishers at Kamgbunli in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah issued a statement highlighting his deep concern over the reports emerging from Kamgbunli, where a mysterious fish disease is affecting the livelihoods of the local fishers and threatening the community’s health. The MP noted that fish caught in the Ebi River are showing severe skin infections, making them unsuitable for sale or consumption. Additionally, a noxious odor and unsettling color in the river have raised potential health hazard concerns among residents.
Fishers have reported a strange occurrence where fish caught are dead on arrival and infected. In response, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah acknowledged the temporary ban on fishing activities in the affected rivers as a necessary measure but stressed the importance of expediting the sample collection and testing process to identify the contamination source.
The MP, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, urged the Western Regional Fisheries Commission to quickly gather samples from the impacted fish and river. He warned that any delay in these actions would prolong the suffering of the Kamgbunli community. Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah also called on the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, and other relevant agencies to collaborate and provide the necessary support to investigate and address this crisis.
He expressed his solidarity with the people of Kamgbunli and urged all stakeholders to prioritize the issue and work collaboratively to address the urgent needs of the constituents.