The construction of fourteen fishing landing sites along Ghana’s coast is expected to commence in the latter part of this year. Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries, made this known to journalists in Accra last Friday when DHV International of Holland, a company contracted to prepare a report on the two fishing harbours and 12 landing sites, submitted the reports to the minister. Beneficiary communities of the project include Ada, Teshie and Jamestown in Greater Accra; Winneba, Moree, Gomoa Fetteh, Senya Bereku and Mumford in the Central region; Axim and Dixcove in the Western region; and Keta, Tepa Bofoase and Gyamani in the Volta region. With a loan of $148 million contracted from the Chinese Government, the project is expected to be completed on time. It entails a two-year moratorium and 25 years to settle. Each landing site would have a police post, fire post, day care centre and a pre-mix station, the minister indicated, adding the projects are aimed towards adding value to fish, increasing income of fishermen and reducing poverty. “If we are able to preserve what we catch here, that would help prices to come down. “Government decided to build these facilities to help reduce post harvest losses and make fisher-folks regulate their income.” The facilities, she stated, would be managed by a holding company. Mrs Asmah continued that work on some six additional sites, earmarked for ice plants and cold storage facilities would begin very soon. Areas with heaviest canoes and catches would have landing sites, which already entails the construction of a cold storage facility. A fisheries school has also been planned for Mumford to help train young people. Furthermore, the Regional Maritime University is trying to set up a Tuna Faculty. Ghana is the 4th largest tuna producing country in the world. In 2007, the nation accrued $200 million from fish exports. Source: Daily Guide