The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has handed over a modern state of the art workshop with auxiliary facilities to inshore fishers on the coast of New Takoradi in the Western Region.
The facility, which has tools and changing room, machine and electrical shops, conference room, Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association (GIFA) office, and washroom, among others, was funded by the GPHA as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
Mr. Peter Amo Bediako, Director of Takoradi Port, said during the commissioning of the workshop, that the facility was part of the GPHA’s resolve to build a modern maintenance yard for the fishers to help them to always keep their canoes and other fishing gears in good shape to help boost their operations. He said the gesture was also part of showing appreciation to the people of New Takoradi for giving GPHA the site on which the Takoradi Port is located.
“In addition to giving us the site, the Port has been expanding and their old maintenance yard was within the enclave in which we are expanding the Port, so it was imperative that at least we build a new maintenance yard for them so that they can be able to offer quality services to their boats and canoes to undertake their business,” he added.
Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister, commended the GPHA for investing in the facility and said it would ensure the fishers properly maintained their fishing gears for enhanced fishing activities.
He said it was necessary to industrialize the fisheries sector to help improve upon the living standards of fisherfolks, and that a facility of that sort would complement government’s efforts in achieving that goal. The Regional Minister asked them to ensure proper maintenance of the facility to guarantee its sustainability and longevity.
Mrs. Hannah Agyei-Boakye, Greater Accra Regional Director of Fisheries Commission, expressed gratitude to GPHA for the intervention, and said it would help to boost the fishing activities and improve upon the socio-economic conditions of the people.
She said GPHA had supported the Fisheries Commission in diverse ways in providing infrastructure for fishing activities at the various ports, including the newly built workshop at New Takoradi, saying such gesture was very commendable.
Mr. Eric Kofi Otoo, Acting Western Regional Secretary of GIFA, also expressed appreciation to GPHA for supporting the fishers with the edifice, and said it would go a long way to help keep their canoes and other fishing gears in good shape to enhance productivity.
“This facility from GPHA is in recognition of the basic needs of the Association to enhance productivity, as it stands to reduce the burden of our fishermen from always trekking long distance from the community to our former place of operations at Boatase community at odd times to set off for fishing expedition,” he said.
He indicated that the facility would also relieve the women of carrying loads of fish from Boatase to the New Takoradi community. According to him “Not only will it benefit this community, but also all the fishing communities along the entire coast of Ghana who seasonally bring their vessels over here for major maintenance and repairs.”
As part of the commissioning of the facility, the GPHA also handed over a winch pull to the fishers to help them easily pull over their canoes from the sea waters to the maintenance yard for repairs.
Source: GNA
