Tema fishing harbour needs a facelift - Chief Fisherman

Nii Odametey II, Chief Fisherman for Tema Awudung, has called for a facelift of the Tema Fishing harbour to enhance fishing activities.

He made the call when Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Transport, visited the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority’s (GPHA) facilities in Tema.

“When we have a bumper catch, vehicles are coming, the people are mending nets on the streets and the porters are also carrying fish. When it happens like that it creates problems.

The mending wharf is too small and so it is always chocked. Because of the high tide it carries rough stones onto the wharf,” he said.

He asked GPHA to call them for a meeting “not stake holders alone; invite us to find out what is going on here.”

He complained about the lack of security at the fishing harbour which made it dangerous to work at night adding, “When you go to the Main Port you have security personnel everywhere who direct you where to go and where not to go.”

According to him, the security of the place should not be “compromised because a lot of people from far and near come to buy fish at the harbour which made the place crowded. We have the Karpower Ship over there; any evil minded person can just come and put fire into it and run away.”

He also prayed the government and GPHA to fix lights around the wharf so they could work at anytime and also serve as a form of security for those who worked at night.

“If the people from Prampram, Ningo catch fish and it’s late, they have to land here because we have facilities here. But now some will come some will not come, because at night the place becomes dark. You see, the armed robbers would come and cut your cork and your lead and they will go and sell them. If they cut it, you will have to remove everything and mend the net again at a very huge cost,” he complained.

Mr. Paul Asare-Ansah, Director General for GPHA, in reaction, said his outfit had put in place measure to fix the lights within the next two months.