The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has called on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to meet with stakeholders to develop a quota for the indigenes of Ga people within the catchment area of the James Town Harbour.
He also urged the authority to leverage the four-year maintenance agreement between the country and the Chinese to train the indigenous some specific areas of services that would require to make the harbour flourish and progress.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II made the appeal when delegations from the Authority paid a courtesy call on him yesterday at his palace in Accra to announce the commencement of the James Town Fishing Harbour.
According to the group led by the Deputy Project Engineer, Ms Mavis Allotey, the full operation of the harbour would start this month.
To have plastic-free shoreline and clear waters to have safe landing of equipment, canoes and boats at the various harbours, the King appealed to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to lead the fight against single-use plastic in the country
He added that some of the menace of single-use plastic was causing apart from eroding all coral reefs, it also caused the fishes to go deep sea to spawn instead of spawning at the shore.
“You need to add your voice for advocacy to stop the importation of single-use plastics and try to look for an alternative to help solve the menace,” he said.
He said because fishes were now spawning deep sea, it was making it difficult for fishermen to make great catches causing protein deficiency in the country.
“We are not able to hit our targets when it comes to protein content that we need as a nation. Because all the fish go into deep seas and when the Chinese trawlers come, they sweep the bed and that’s all,” the king said.
Furthermore, he emphasised the need to encourage the usage of biodegradable plastic or the use of paper bags, stating that “I want you the authority to lead this charge for us to clean out single-use plastic waste from our communities, gutters and sea.”
As the king of the Ga land of which the facility is situated, the authority said there was a need for them to seek his blessing, guidance and support as they were about to start operation.
Ms Allotey noted that, two weeks ago the authority had met with all stakeholders, and traditional leaders to discuss the progress of the harbour and they believe after meeting with the Ga Mantse, all was set for the fishing harbour to start operations fully.
BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
