C/R: Akufo-Addo commissions Elmina Fishing Harbour

The magnificent facility has an administration block with offices and a viewing deck, a new fish market, a net mending area, an auction hall, an ablution facility, toilets, and a daycare structure for toddlers.

It has a docking space and deep marine access to ensure the durability and sustainability of the harbor.

Elmina Harbour Pulse Ghana

The project commenced in August 2020, to boost tourism and the salt industry, increase accessibility to the port and extend its capacity to improve the fishing industry at Elmina and the Central Region in general.

President Akufo-Addo commissioning the project on Friday, May,26 commended the chiefs and the people of Elmina, and the various contractors for cooperating to work to meet the operational requirements.

He said the facility represented a significant milestone in empowering the people through job creation to complement the work of the Takoradi and Tema harbors.

Rather, its record completion was a manifestation of the Government’s pledge to invest in the fisheries sector to improve the livelihoods of all players there, he said.

Through the multifaceted investment in the sector, the President was optimistic about increasing the income of fishers and cutting down post-harvest losses to reduce fish imports in the medium to long term.

He said the fisheries sector contributed about 11 percent of the country’s GDP and 30 percent of its workforce directly and indirectly.

He gave the assurance that other landing beaches strategically positioned along the coastal stretch of Ghana were at various stages of completion, and would be finalized soon.

The President bemoaned the negative impact of illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing activities that were largely contributing to the decline in fish stocks and asked the perpetrators to desist from that practice.

Chiefs and leaders of Elmina Pulse Ghana

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 harbor is named; Nana Addo Habour and we also wish to bestow on you a chieftaincy title, Nana Begyedinaman I, for your support to community development,” he said.

He urged artisanal fishermen to comply with the government’s planned closed season this year and appealed for the regulation of the activity of ‘saiko’ fishers to support the livelihoods of fisher folk.

The facility comes with marine and civil infrastructure, including a south breakwater of 450 meters in length with cubipods round head and a north breakwater of 160 meters in length tied into the existing sea defense.

The port also has a large basin of 65,000 m2 with dredged depths between three meters to five meters and quay walls of a total length of 400 meters, including an 80 meters tourist quay at the Elmina Castle.

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.

These are the landing beaches at Mumford, Winneba, Senya Bereku, and Gomoa Feteh in the Central Region, as well as Teshie and James Town in the Greater Accra Region, and Keta in the Volta Region.

Construction of the biggest fishing harbor in the region was valued at €84 million and completed within 30 months.