Tema, Feb. 22, GNA - The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), would soon take measures to rid the Tema port and the Fishing harbour of over 30 laid-up vessels, which pose threat to maritime safety.

Under it, the Shipping Division of the Ministry of Roads and Transport has been invited to conduct a survey of laid-up vessels to ascertain their seaworthiness. Mr Kwaku Duah Boateng, Acting Director General of GPHA, announced this on Tuesday at a forum with boat owners and agents to find lasting solution to the problem of vessels, which have been left at the port since 1985.

He said vessels found to be seaworthy would be given up to June 2000, to become operational while those not seaworthy would be dumped in the high seas.

Affected vessels owners have the liberty to appoint independent surveyors in the company of GPHA, to observe the work of a survey team. He said the exercise would begin by mid March and completed in mid April.

Responsibility of maintaining the vessels at the port lies with the owners and not GPHA. The cost of survey and disposal would be borne by owners in accordance with provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act.

The Acting Director General indicated that in September 1999, the nation spent 600 million cedis to salvage and dispose of MV Camco Star, a laid up vessel. It would cost about 20 billion to salvage the vessels should they sink. For the past five years, the vessels have occupied berthing space resulting in the loss of about 10 billion cedis in operational revenue.

The Port Authority has been battling to recover the debt of 4.4 billion cedis harbour rent owed by the vessels owners. He asked them to settle the debt by April 30, this year.

Mr Boateng said due to inadequate space as a result of laid-up vessels, operational one have to wait long hours at anchorage until berth is made available.

In some cases vessels divert to discharge their catch in Abidjan. He said laid-out vessels dotted along the coast do not only pose a threat to safety but have become a source of pollution as they discharge oils, lubricants and garbage adding that, " this is a potential threat to standards set by the European Union for accepting fish imports from Ghana".

Last year, the GPHA recorded eight pirate attacks on waiting vessels at the anchorage, which is a set back to the growth of the port. The GPHA has had meetings with boat owners over the situation.

Mr Boateng said that should the boat owners fail to comply, GPHA would resort to legal action. During open forum the boat owners pleaded for extension of time to enable them to look for money to take up the task.

In 1982 the then Ghana Ports Authority dumped 26 of such vessels to clear the ports and in 1986, 51 sunken vessels were removed from the ports of Tema and Takoradi at the cost of 2.5 million dollars, as part of port rehabilitation.