The new design comes with a canoe berthing area, fish sorting and cleaning facility, fish processing facility, drying and smoking areas, net mending and canoe repair facilities, a health post, among other things.

The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ms Sherry Ayittey, who launched the design at Anloga Torkor where the first project would be sited, said the project design had been completed and work would start early next year. The World Bank will finance the projects.

Improving fishing conditions

She said fishing was the mainstay of the people of Anloga and its environs and that the proposed landing site would go a long way to create more jobs and hygienic surroundings for fishing in that community.

The government, in 2015, took a bold decision to undertake the project which is under the funding of the World Bank. “The necessary investment has been ring-fenced to support the development of this area,” she said.

The project, Ms Ayittey said, was very important as it would provide the needed nutrition for good health which is necessary for national development.

Importation of fish

The fisheries and aquaculture minister indicated that it was untenable and unsustainable for the country to spend millions of dollars annually to import fish to supplement local consumption.

“This is untenable and unsustainable in view of the growing national population, hence improving efficiency in the fishing industry for increased yields and high quality products,” Ms Ayittey stated.

Retain Mahama for project completion

The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Doe Adjaho, who was at the inauguration, said the country was aware of the government’s commitment to improve socio-economic infrastructure as the basis for economic takeoff.

Mr Adjaho said President Mahama had given assurance that the project would become a reality and, therefore, called on the people to vote to retain him in power.

The Member of Parliament for the Anlo Constituency, Mr Kofi Humado, said a landing site had been a major concern for the people in the area and, therefore, expressed joy that the project had been initiated.