By Hafsa Obeng/Muniratu Akweley Issah
Accra, Nov. 03, GNA – The Jamestown Fishing Harbour has recorded an increase in the number of fishermen using the facility, rising from about 400 last year to more than 500, largely due to improved infrastructure and a safer environment for fishing operations.
Mr Stephen Keame Owiah, Engineer and General Manager of the Jamestown Fishing Harbour, said the facility was attracting fishermen from the Central and Western Regions, who preferred its sheltered environment for landing their canoes.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Owiah said the harbour had significantly enhanced conditions for fishermen and fishmongers since its establishment through the provision of a fish market, an ice-making plant and storage facilities to support fish handling and preservation.
He said the facility was also creating employment opportunities for local residents, with indigenous people employed to operate the ice-making plant.
Mr Owiah explained that the harbour’s mandate was to provide safe landing and support facilities for fishermen while creating a more conducive trading environment for women engaged in the fish trade.
He noted that the fish market offered fishmongers a cleaner and more organised place to conduct business compared with the beach and previously used trading areas.
The General Manager said the harbour had also provided a designated space where women could safely leave their toddlers while attending to their businesses.
Mr Owiah said the harbour, commissioned about two years ago, had put in place regular maintenance measures to protect its infrastructure against the corrosive effects of the salty sea breeze.
He, however, identified the accumulation of plastic waste in the northern section of the harbour as a major challenge.
According to him, wind frequently carried waste from a nearby quarry site into the facility, while the short breakwater allowed large quantities of plastic waste to enter the harbour.
He said the situation had hindered access by trawlers seeking repair services, although fishing canoes continued to use the facility without difficulty.
Addressing the challenge, he noted, would improve access to the ship repair yard and enable the harbour to accommodate a wider range of fishing vessels.
Mr Owiah said the harbour’s 60-metric-tonne ice-making facility had eliminated Jamestown’s dependence on Tema for ice supplies.
The facility now supplies ice to fishermen and fishmongers for fish preservation, while serving other users within the fishing value chain.
He also disclosed that the harbour had four cold-storage units with a combined capacity of about 1,000 metric tonnes. However, current fish landings were insufficient to fully utilise even one of the storage units.
Mr Owiah expressed optimism that increased access for trawlers would boost fish landings and improve utilisation of the storage facilities.
He said fish sold at the market included fresh catches such as grouper and red fish, with designated areas available for fishmongers to clean and prepare fish for customers.
Mr Owiah urged fishermen, traders and other users of the facility to adopt proper maintenance practices to safeguard the infrastructure and ensure its long-term sustainability.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporters: Hafsa Obeng/ Muniratu Akweley Issah