Another boat has sunk at the Elmina Fishing Harbour on Saturday afternoon after being struck by a powerful tidal wave, causing extensive damage. The 28-member crew, however, escaped unharmed.
The eight-year-old vessel collided with underwater rocks and boulders around 11:30 a.m., pushed off course by strong winds toward the harbour’s rocky sea defence.
This marks the second such incident within a month and the sixth boat disaster at Elmina, the Central Region’s major fishing hub, in three years, raising serious safety concerns.
Last month, on August 19, 2025, Ghana’s second-largest fishing vessel at Elmina suffered extensive damage, though its 15-member crew survived.
Samuel Amoah, a crew member from Saturday’s incident, described the boat hitting underwater rocks, with water gushing in until it eventually broke apart. He called the scene “pretty sad” and expressed concern over how the crew would support their families after losing millions of cedis.
Onlookers gathered as the boat drifted and disintegrated despite rescue efforts.
Many crew members urged authorities to conduct urgent and regular dredging of the harbour, warning that accumulated silt, rocks, and boulders reduce the harbour’s capacity for large vessels and increase operational risks.
Responding to the incident, Yeboah Asante, Manager of the facility, assured stakeholders that urgent measures are underway to dredge the harbour.
He explained that sediment build-up had reduced its depth, hindering vessel movement and increasing risks.
Mr. Asante expressed confidence that timely dredging would allow the harbour to accommodate larger vessels, reduce downtime, and boost the livelihoods of fishermen in Elmina and surrounding areas.
“The dredging project is a priority, aimed at restoring the harbour’s functionality to boost economic activities,” he said.
