Work on the 60 million euro Ada Sea Defense project scheduled to be completed in December 2013, is about 30 percent ready. Contractors for the project, Dredging international have already procured all materials including armor rocks, gravel and scour material to ensure a speedy completion of the project. Work is expected to resume in July. The Ada Sea Defense project has become necessary due to increasing erosion along the coast of Ada. Several houses cited along the Ada coastline are currently inhabitable, due to the rampaging sea waves and the risk of flooding which residents say was a common feature. With the construction of the sea defense project, not only will the coastline of Ada be protected from erosion, but marine life along the Ada coast will also be preserved. There are currently three species of turtle, the Olive riley, Leather back and Green turtle which visit Ada every morning and evening to lay their eggs along the coast. Every year, from October to April, each of the three turtle species lay on the average 100 eggs on the shore. Each egg takes up to 12 weeks to hatch before migrating into the sea; and once the hatchlings find their way into the sea, they return after 20 years to also lay their eggs at the same point where they were hatched. Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Enoch Teye Mensah who paid a working visit to the project site, expressed optimism about the economic potential of the project. He said the sea defense project, will stabilize the Ada coast and encourage the production of salt for export, noting the salt industry is worth an estimated 10 billion dollars. He also underscored the tourism potential along the Ada coast noting players in the hospitality industry will find Ada as another attractive destination to invest in. Project manager, Ewan Terblanche said, the project has created employment for residents in the community. He indicated, as part of efforts to preserve the ecological life of the sea turtle, 17 local residents of Ada have been contracted to patrol the sea shore every evening to protect the turtle eggs from both human and animal predators. He also added 85 Ghanaians as compared to 16 expatriates have been engaged on the project site to enhance the speedy completion of the project. When completed, the Ada sea defense project will be 15 kilometers long and 3.5 feet high.