Abandoned Vessels Overtake Ghana's Coast

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is unhappy with the growing number of abandoned vessels along Ghana’s coast which it noted was degrading the environment.
Some cargo, tanker and fishing vessels, mostly located at Prampram and close to the Tema Habour, have been abandoned.

Young men, who call themselves scavengers, usually rip them into pieces to sell as scrap.

The activities of the youth threaten the lives of the people in community.

A team from EPA that toured Prampram where another vessel, MT Navgator, has recently been spotted was astonished by the level of the illegal activities along the shore.
MT Navgator was seen along the coast close to Prampram in November, and was being ripped into pieces when the EPA served notice for work to stop after the media highlighted the issue.



Moses Adams, a scavenger working on the vessel, told journalists that he was contracted by Integral Marine, a local scarp company which bought the vessel suspected to have been abandoned on the high seas for five years.

He said it was formally at the Dry Dock at the Tema Habour but was moved to Prampram after securing approval from the traditional authority.

DSP Abraham Kwawu, Prampram District Commander, who is ensuring that the EPA order is carried out, disclosed in an interview that all the other vessels were there accidentally as a result of shipwreck with the exception of two vessels.
Journalists were showed a vessel believed to have conveyed Tata buses to Ghana some 25 years ago.

Hudu Issak, who cut and sold almost half of another tanker vessel, MT Biera, said they would need another month to dismantle the whole vessel estimated to generate over GH¢40,000.



A letter dated August 11, 2011 and signed by Captain James Owusu-Koranteng, Habour Master on behalf of the Director of the Tema Port and copied to the Port Security Coordinator, Naval Base Commander and the Ghana Maritime Authority, gave permit to remove the vessels from the Tema anchorage to Prampram.

Irene Heathcote, Director at EPA Accra East Regional office, told CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE that the presence of the vessels threatens the security of the area.

“They are supposed to be at the dry dock. There are social and environmental hazards associated with these activities.”

She said apart from degrading the shores, the scavengers use gas and dynamite to blast the vessels.



Lambert Faabeluon, Director of Manufacturing and Industry Department of the EPA, explained that the sea could be contaminated with alien species.
“If this activity is not stopped we will be opening our doors for others and gradually our shores would be turned into something else...”
Key stakeholders including the Navy, Ghana Maritime Authourity, Ghana Ports and Habour Authority, National Security, EPA would be holding a meeting to discuss the issue today.