Kofi Ahovi

 The Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Brigadier General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono has revealed that the Port Authority will soon commence extensive dredging works at the Port of Tema, a key move aimed at increasing the depth of the harbour and enhancing its capacity to receive larger vessels. Speaking in an interview, he said arrangements for the dredging exercise are at an advanced stage, with actual works expected to begin by the end of next month. At the moment, the depth is about 8 meters. We intend to dredge it to between 12 and 14 meters,” the Director-General revealed. “This is crucial because currently, many larger vessels are unable to berth at Tema Port due to its limited depth.” He stated that the planned dredging, once completed, is expected to significantly improve vessel turnaround time by accommodating bigger ships. This will not only make Tema Port more competitive but also help cut costs for shipping lines and importers alike,” he no...

 The Centre for Maritime Law and Security (CEMLAWS) has observed that the proliferation of foreign-owned industrial fishing vessels on Ghana’s territorial waters, contrary to regulations is a threat to food security. According to the CEMLAWS, although it was illegal for foreign-owned vessels to fish in Ghana, many fishing vessels flying the Ghana flags are foreign-owned with some Ghanaians acting as fronts. This illegal practices on Ghana’s waters threatens food security and the livelihoods of thousands of artisanal fishers who depend on the sector,” Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali, Executive Director- CEMLAWS Africa warned at a media training. These came to light during a training workshop for media practitioners on Distant Water Fishing (DWF) vessels in Accra organized by CEMLAWS and the Centre for Coastal Management (CCM) at the University of Cape Coast. The training was aimed at empowering the journalists to help expose these and other issues in Ghana’s fisheries sector. The Fisheries Act 6...