Fishermen in the country will soon practice what experts say is scientific fishing, with the introduction of ICT-equipped gadgets. The programme, to be piloted in four regions where offshore fishing is already operational, is meant to boost fish production and improve the lot of fisherman. The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications hopes the fisher-folk would take advantage of the new technology. Chief Executive of GIFEC, Kofi Attor, says all is set for the deployment of the technology to aid fisherman movement. The equipment includes Fish Finder, which enables fishermen to identify suitable targets on sea without difficulty. Mr. Attor says this and other satellite equipments will be supplied free of charge to the Canoe Fishermen Association. He announced this at a training programme for 40 Senior and Junior High School ICT teachers selected nationwide at Nkwantakese in the Afigya Kwabre District. GIFEC has for the past two years introduced ICT programmes to improve access to rural communities. These include the Information Centre as well as School and Library Connectivity Projects. More than 80 Community Information Centres equipped with computers and internet connectivity have been provided with additional 16 more expected to be completed nationwide by the end of December. The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications pays for training of coordinators and instructors at the various centres with the aim of increasing ICT access in rural areas. It is also using the presence of Post Offices in rural areas as a stepping stone to deploy and spread ICT in communities under its Post Office Connectivity project. According to Mr. Attor, fishermen will undergo training before the ICT for fishing project takes off fully. “By using the Finder, they have an idea where fishes are and they cast their nets. But on-shore, there should be facilities also to communicate with those on sea, so this idea of lost fishermen will not happen again.” He is optimistic the era of low catch will be over once fish farmers adopt the new technology. “What will happen is, they (fishermen) know where they are going; where the fish is and that would improve fishing. And we are now at a level where we should start procuring the equipments and by the end of the year, we will see scientific fishing on large scale in Ghana.”