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The abandoned fishing vessel at the Tema Fishing Harbour
The abandoned fishing vessel at the Tema Fishing Harbour

Tema Port to dump abandoned fishing vessel

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) is to tow out an abandoned fishing vessel, Mapopeche 1, from the Tema Fishing Habour to anchorage because it poses danger to vessels and port operations.

The move follows the expiration of a 10-day ultimatum to owners to remove the sinking stationary vessel from the fishing harbour.  It will save the port authority significant resources to remove the vessel now, as removing the debris after it sinks will cost fortunes.

According to the authority, the vessel, which had been abandoned at the fishing harbour since October 2015, is beginning to pose danger to operating vessels at the fishing harbour.

The Director of Ports at the GPHA, Mr Jacob Adorkor, told the Daily Graphic in Tema that the vessel was no longer sea worthy because it was rusty for lack of maintenance and had developed holes in its deck, causing it to take water, an indication that it would sink.

Danger

The vessel had also drifted off its moorage and become a hazard to other boats and vessels, he said.

He said although the authority was losing rent revenues from the vessel occupying prime wharfs at the fishing harbour, officials were more concerned about safety.

Mr Adorkor said efforts by management of the port to get to the owners and crew, through Conash Limited, the agency under which the vessel was registered, had proven futile.

“It will cost the GPHA huge sums of money to salvage the vessel from the depth of the sea if it should sink,” Mr Adorkor said.

Mr Adorkor also expressed worry that apart from posing threats to other vessels,it had as well become a shelter for miscreants.

The failure of owners to show up following the issuance of public notice to locate them constitutes a waiver of all rights, title and interest in the vessel, he indicated.

Harbour master

The Harbour Master at the Tema Port, Captain Richard Quayeson, also told the Daily Graphic that the anchor of the vessel had been removed by the owners, an indication that they left the vessel at the port on purpose.

“The port is a limited area and looking at the condition of the vessel, it could sink at any time and removing its debris from the sea could be an expensive venture,” Capt Quayeson stated.

He, thus, called on interest groups such as the banks and insurers who may have interests in the vessel to engage the port authority since the GPHA could no longer guarantee the safety of the vessel.

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