Unserviceable fishing vessels to be removed by Early 2002

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) would remove all unserviceable fishing vessels occupying berths of the Tema Fishing Harbour by February next year to make the area available for economic activities.

Mr Anthony Jim-Fugar, Tema Fishing Harbour Manager told newsmen at Tema that a lot of progress had been made in this direction leaving four vessels namely MV Tsaflovi, MV Capt. Standel, MV Tono and MV Ayensu, all laid-up at the port since 1995.

He was speaking when the Vessel MV Subin, belonging to TTV Limited, formerly Mankoadze Fisheries, was dumped beyond the 100-fathom-line where the depth of the sea was more than 185 metres below sea level.

Mr Jim-Fugah said the procedure followed in dumping the vessel was in line with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations to ensure that dumped vessels pose no danger to navigation and marine life.

He said another vessel, MV Faithful Lord whose owner was repairing it but has halted work on it would be added to the list if the repair works were not completed by February next year.

The GPHA has so far dumped or beached nine out of 15 unserviceable vessels that were blocking berth space of the fishing port as at the middle of this year. Owners of two out of the remaining six vessels were working on them to so that they would not be dumped.

Mr Jim-Fugah said, two out the four berths of the fishing harbour which were permanently occupied by laid up vessels making it impossible for them to be used for economic activities like water supply to vessels, crane service and bunkering services had been cleared.

Berth occupation by the laid-up vessels resulted in the loss of about 10 billion cedis in income to the GPHA between 1995 and 2000 while vessel owners owed over six billion cedis in rent as at June this year.

He said these vessels also posed a risk of sinking in the port like the MV Bani belonging to Atos Fisheries, which sunk in the fishing harbour on February 11, 2001 after its owners ignored warnings by the GPHA to get it removed.

The GPHA would start preparations next week to remove the MV Bani, which is expected to cost about 54,000 dollars. Atos Fisheries would bear the cost and had paid a deposit of 100 million cedis.