€85m fishing harbour for Elmina commissioned

President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned the €85m Elmina Fishing Harbour rehabilitation and expansion project in the historic city of Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region.
The construction of the biggest fishing harbour in the region, which was completed in 30-months, has a docking space and deep marine access to ensure the durability and sustainability of the harbour.
The €85m fishing harbour project represents a significant milestone, and adds to the existing two fishing ports of Tema and Sekondi-Takoradi.
Government is also on course to complete works on the Jamestown Fishing Port, which would bring the total number of fishing ports in the country to four.
Work on the €85m fishing harbour project commenced in August 2020, with the objective to boost tourism and the salt industry, increase accessibility of the port and extend its capacity to improve the fishing industry, in Elmina and the Central Region.
450 metres south breakwate
The facility comes with marine and civil infrastructure including a south breakwater of 450 metres in length with cubipods round head and a north breakwater of 160 metres in length tied into the existing sea defense.
65,000 m2 basin, 400 metres quay walls
It comes with a large basin of 65,000 m2 with dredged depths between three-metres to five-metres and quay walls of total length of 400 metres, including an 80metres touristic quay at the Elmina Castle.
Facilities
The magnificent facility has an administration block with offices and a viewing deck, a new fish market, a net mending area, auction hall, an ablution facility, toilets, and a Day Care structure for toddlers.
Significant marine and civil works went into the project executed by Bellsea Limited, with the International Marine and Dredging Consultants (IMDC) being the consulting engineers.
€85m fishing harbour
Commissioning the facility at a colourful ceremony, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commended the Chiefs and the people of Elmina and various contractors for cooperating to work assiduously to meet various operational requirements.
He said the facility represented a significant milestone in empowering the people through job creation to compliment the work of the Takoradi and Tema harbours.
Nevertheless, President Akufo-Addo slammed former President John Dramani Mahama for describing the project as a political gimmick to play away the people of Elmina and the Central Region at large.
Rather, he indicated that the record completion of the facility was a manifestation of the government’s pledge to invest in the fisheries sector to improve the livelihoods of all players in the sector.
Through the multifaceted investment in the sector, the President was optimistic about increasing the income of fishers and cutting down post-harvest loses to reduce fish imports in the medium to long term.
President Akufo-Addo said the fisheries sector contributed about 11% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 30% of the country’s workforce directly and indirectly and gave assurance that other landing beaches strategically positioned along the coastal stretch of Ghana were at various stages of completion.
14 of such projects under construction
They included the landing beaches at Mamford, Winneba, Senya Bereku, Gomoa Feteh, in the Central region as well as Teshie and James Town in the Greater Accra Region and Keta in the Volta Region.
The President bemoaned the negative impact of illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing activities that were contributing to the decline in fish stocks and asked them to desist from it to save marine resources.
On behalf of the array of contractors who executed the projects, Joachim Lebbe, the Project Manager for BellSea Limited, one of the contractors said structures had been uniquely designed and constructed with the people of Elmina being one of the major stakeholders; hence their input were inculcated accordingly.
“I think this project has been an example of good cooperation between the government, local communities, stakeholders, engineers, and contractors. From design to completion of the execution, a continuous interaction took place between the several stakeholders to ensure the most possible needs could be addressed in the design of the project.
“Maximum possible new port area was created to also make sufficient space for local entrepreneurs to expand their activities in the future,” he said.
$254m fish exports in 2022
Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture said Ghana earned about $254 million from export of fish and fishery products in 2022.
If well managed the sector would contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of the country, she said at the commissioning of the Elmina Fishing Port Rehabilitation and Expansion project.
More than three million people are employed along the value chain of the fisheries sector, which contributes 1.2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which accounted for over 60% of animal protein intake by the population.
Per capita consumption of fish was 26kg, contributing hugely to national food security in Ghana, the Minister said.
She, however, pointed out that the sector was saddled with challenges such as sea surface temperature and rising sea levels, which increased occurrences of sea surge due to climate change and global warming.
This phenomenon had resulted in coastal sea erosion and destruction of landing sites, affecting the livelihoods of artisanal fishermen.
The project would, therefore, address the challenges facing the sector with regards to safe landing for fishermen after fishing expedition and the hygienic handling of fish.
Additionally, the fishing port was evidence of the Government’s commitment to the growth and development of the sector.
She advised fishermen to stop illegal fishing activities to facilitate the recovery and rebuilding of the fisheries resources.
“The development of landing sites and fishing harbours will be of no use if the fisheries resources are depleted because of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing practices.”
The Sector Minister called on the fisher-folks to work together to harness the full potential of the Elmina Fishing Port to become a catalyst for sustainable growth, increased job creation and improved livelihoods.
Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, Central Regional Minister said the fisheries sector remained a key contributor to the growth of Ghana’s economy, providing food security, poverty alleviation, health, and jobs.
With 70% of the people in the region engaging in fishing and farming, she was hopeful that the facility would ease the unemployment challenges in the area to improve their livelihoods along the 138 coastlines.
Nana Kodwo Conduah VI, the Omanhen of Edina Traditional Area, expressed gratitude to the government for completing the project on time.
“I wish to propose that this harbour is named “Nana Addo Habour” and we also wish to bestow on you a chieftaincy title “Nana Begyedinaman I” for your support for the community” he said.
The Omanhen of Elmina Traditional Area also urged artisanal fishermen to comply with the government’s planned closed season this year and appealed to the government to regulate the activity of saiko to support the livelihoods of fishers.
GNA