The Ministry of Transport has reiterated that the James Town Fishing Harbour continues to face a number of operational challenges that are preventing it from functioning at full capacity.
According to the ministry, the facility—commissioned under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo—still lacks some essential equipment required to make it fully operational.
The concerns emerged during a joint inspection of the harbour by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Ministry of Transport.
Speaking after the inspection, the Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, assured that the government is committed to resolving the challenges identified to ensure the facility operates effectively.
“It was put in place without the equipment needed to make the facility operational. As I said, we have a place for the repair of smaller vessels, but because of the siltation, we are unable to get those vessels close to the Fishing Harbor.
“It is the government’s wish to put together all the challenges we have identified today and see how quickly we can work to desilt the place, ensure that the fishing boat aspect is fixed, and then we can repair our vessel there,” he said.
On her part, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, said the government is determined to operationalise the harbour to strengthen Ghana’s fishing industry and improve the livelihoods of coastal communities.
“Our interest is how to maximise the facilities here for the benefit of artisanal fishers in this country. We all know that fishing is the heart of James Town. From here we are sitting together to see arrangements we can put in place so that this facility will be maximized,” she said.
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