The Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF) says that seven Ghanaian fishermen went missing because their engine suddenly broke down and powerful ocean winds pushed their canoe into the waters of Togo and Benin.
The fishermen left from Sekondi in a canoe called Second Chance, but they couldn’t control the boat after the outboard engine quit working, which left them stuck out in the ocean.
According to GNAFF, the canoe drifted about 120 nautical miles from Axim into waters belonging to Togo and Benin because the strong winds made it really hard for the crew to steer.
In a press release from October 24 that was signed by Deputy General Secretary Reverend Dr Israel Kuadzi, GNAFF explained that its Western Regional Steering Committee told the main office about what happened on October 9.
The owner of the canoe reported the seven fishermen missing on October 18 after he got distress calls from the crew who were stranded.
Local fishermen in Benin found the fishermen alive in the waters near Grand-Popo.
A search and rescue operation that included the Ghana Air Force, Ghana Navy, Togolese Navy, Beninese Navy and the ECOWAS maritime framework helped bring them back to Ghana safely on October 22.
After this incident, GNAFF is asking for better safety rules for small-scale fishermen, like requiring safety gear, GPS and tracking devices, better emergency distress systems, and more teamwork between countries to keep fishermen safe at sea.
Source: GNA