The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) lost 10 billion cedis in revenue between 1995 and 2000 because laid-up fishing vessels occupied berths at the Tema Fishing Harbour.

Mr Jim Fugar, Tema Fishing Harbour Manager, said the vessel owners owed GPHA about six billion cedis in rent as at June but said they were insolvent.

He was briefing the 13-member Parliamentary Select Committee on Road and Transport during a fact-finding visit to the Tema Main Harbour and the Fishing Harbour on Wednesday.

Fifteen laid-up vessels are now permanently occupying four out of the eight berths and could not be used for any other operational and commercial activity like water supply to vessels, crane service, ship handling and bunkering services.

Mr Fugar said apart from hampering the income-generating capacity of the Port, the vessels, some of which have been there since 1987, stood the risk of sinking as it happened to MV Bani on February 11.

The cost of salvaging it has been put at about 400,000 US dollars. Furthermore, occupation of protected water area by laid-up vessels limited the harbour basin and rendered navigation and turning of ships in the port difficult and dangerous.

The vessels were also a source of pollution since they discharge oils and lubricants into the harbour basin. These vessels also posed security and safety problems and impacted negatively on the fishing industry.

Mr Fugar said the GPHA constituted a committee made up of all stakeholders, which in turn commissioned a condition survey for all the laid-up vessels in July 2000.

Out of the 28 vessels surveyed, 15 of them were deemed unserviceable, six were considered repairable and operational within a short time, while seven others were said to be repairable.

The committee also considered waste management options like scrapping, off-site recycling and dumping and these were discussed with vessel owners to seek their co-operation and collaboration in solving the problems but some of the companies refused to co-operate.

Mr Fugar said so far out of 31 vessels five have been repaired, eight were beached in emergency disposal to prevent them from sinking in the port, one sank and two have been dumped, while four were under repairs.

Seven others were deemed unserviceable, three might be serviceable, while one, MV Subin, was being prepared for dumping by removing her useful parts.

Mr Fugar called for the passing of a new legislation on the importation of seaworthy fishing vessels, that would also give time limit and general conditions for laid-up of vessels in the fishing ports.

Such a law, must also clear all ambiguities in the authority given to the GPHA on the disposal of laid-up vessels, the detention of vessels in port on court orders and clarify responsibilities of vessel owners.

Mr Fugar said the fishing harbour needed a designated area for laid-up facilities so that broken down ships did not use operational space, noting that this, however, called for a huge investment.

He said the Japanese government had warned that it would not invest anymore in the Tema Fishing Harbour if laid-up vessels were not removed from the port.

Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee noted the problems raised and agreed on the need to pass a legislation to protect the country's fishing industry from collapse.