In a coastal region such as Cape Coast and Elmina, it is natural that fishing is a major business. Elmina is supposed to be the largest fishing town in Ghana. And where fishermen are, there is a need for boats. Central Press has visited the boat yards in Elmina and spoken with Mr Ephraim Edjah, a ship building master and some of his employees and also with Mr Edward Oquaye Mortey, the Mechanical Superintendent of the Fishers Commission in Elmina.
Fishing boast still require a lot of hand crafting in Ghana. While in Cape Coast or Moree canoes made of one giant log are the common standard, in Elmina larger ships are made with a wooden frame construction and wooden planks. The parts being used come from a saw mill in a standard format.. The only electrical tool being used is a drilling machine, everything else is manual work. To build one of these 62 feet long vessels, six men usually need approximately six months.
Mr Ephraim Edjah has been in the fishing boat business for ten years, and is the owner and founder of the Nyame Beye Company, which employs around six people, including his son. His company is one of four main companies in Elmina, which boasts the largest fishing industry in Ghana, and makes approximately two to three boats a year, depending on the size of the vessels, providing his employees with steady and reliable work all year round. He is appealing to the government to look into opening a boat-making school which would offer more young people access to an indispensable, worthy and rewarding trade, and which would also enable new boat-making technology from around the world to be shared and taught to students, in order to enhance and develop Ghana’s fishing boat industry.
New materials like fiberglass would help to extend the durability of the vessels that now last about 10 years, but so far none of the workers around the Elmina shipyards have any experience with the handling of fiberglass.
Nyame Beye Cmpany is one out of four shipyards at Elmina harbor. Since the capacities of the companies are limited, there is no real competition. The owners rather cooperate and would send a potential customer to one of their neighbor docks in case their own capacities are tied up for the next few months.
CP then spoke with Mr Edward Oquaye Mortey, the Mechanical Superintendent of the Fishers Commission in Elmina. He is responsible for the inspection of the shipyards and the ships before they leave the dock and head out into the ocean to make sure that certain safety standards are being met. Mortey also educates the fishermen in handling of an engine powered boat or nautic navigation which is now supported by GPS as well. When asked for his opinion regarding a school for shipbuilders and also fishermen, Mortey was all-in. He stated that it would be very useful if fishermen had to complete some sort of certificate to get the permission to go out fishing. This would ensure that they all have a certain basic knowledge about what they are doing and what they shouldn't do. Apart from the above named topics they should for example also learn about sustainable fishing because it is crucial to make sure that the fish population in the Ghanaian sea has a chance to recover so that the fishing business will remain a stable, blossoming business for many years to come. - Frances Black/Axel Patsch
No comments:
Post a Comment