On Friday, September 13, 2024, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo formally opened the eagerly anticipated Jamestown Fishing Harbour, marking a momentous occasion for the seaside village of Jamestown, Accra. After decades of development, this major project is finally finished, and it fulfils a pledge made by the Akufo-Addo administration to boost Ghana’s fishing sector and enhance the lives of local fishermen.
Since the 1960s, when talks about building a contemporary fishing port for the region initially started, people have been eagerly awaiting the construction of the state-of-the-art Jamestown Fishing Harbour. These plans fell through for many years, leaving the inhabitants of Jamestown and the surrounding Ga community with unfulfilled hopes. However, the harbour now proudly serves as a symbol of the government’s dedication to action, as President Akufo-Addo fulfils a pledge made decades ago.
During the commissioning ceremony, the President stressed the facility’s practical and symbolic significance. Having grown up in the adjacent Korle Wokon, President Akufo-Addo has personal ties to the Jamestown area and expressed his tremendous joy in seeing this project through to completion. He thought back to the December 2018 day he had cut the project’s sod and the doubters who had expressed doubts about the port’s completion.
It is anticipated that the recently built fishing harbour would completely change the local economy by creating jobs, enhancing the quality of life for fishermen, and increasing domestic fish production. The harbour, which has a number of contemporary amenities, is intended to help Ghana’s artisanal fishing industry overcome some of its persistent problems.
These include better fish handling techniques, safer canoe launches and landings, and larger storage spaces. The port is notable for its 200-ton cold storage, 60-ton ice-making plant, 200-ton fish market, and market stalls, among other things. In order to assist women traders, a creche facility has also been added. This gives them the piece of mind to conduct business knowing their kids are safe.
Jamestown Fishing Harbour was put into operation after the Elmina Fishing Port, another historic project under the Akufo-Addo administration that successfully transformed Ghana’s fishing industry, was completed in May 2023. The President emphasised that his administration recognises the vital role that agriculture and fisheries play in Ghana’s economy, pointing out that the fishing industry provides a living for more than 2.6 million people and generated US$263.2 million in GDP in 2020.
SOURCE: https://dew360.net
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