Seventy-one fishermen have been rescued and returned home safely after a pirate attack at sea on Wednesday evening.
The Central Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation, Emmanuel Dawood Mensah, said the attackers, who reportedly spoke pidgin English, ordered the fishermen to surrender their outboard motors, generators, mobile phones and cash.
“They got away with seven outboard motors, five generators, mobile phones, cash and fuel,” Mr Mensah said.
The fishermen were travelling in seven canoes — one from Tema, two from Vorkor in the Greater Accra Region, and four from Senya Beraku in the Central Region. The attack occurred between Senya Beraku and Dampase.
Mr Mensah commended the coordinated efforts of NADMO, the Ghana Navy, the Marine Police, the Fisheries Commission and local fishermen groups, which ensured the safe return of all crew members.
He said the police have taken statements from the affected fishermen, while NADMO has conducted a preliminary assessment. The Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya West, Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, has also provided psycho-social support to the victims. Investigations are ongoing.
The President of the Ghana Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association, Nana Kweigah, said information about the attack reached the association around 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
He explained that the fishermen had set sail from Senya Beraku earlier in the day before being ambushed at sea. According to him, the pirates fired gunshots before demanding phones, outboard motors, fuel and generators.
“Our greatest challenge was communication and location,” Nana Kweigah said. “In each of the cases, the robbers reportedly instructed one of the crew to place a call back home and report the incident before taking all the phones. Throughout the night we struggled to establish contact.”
He added that even after the Navy was alerted, identifying the exact location of the attacked canoes proved difficult.
Nana Kweigah called on authorities to strengthen safety measures at sea by equipping fishermen with improved communication and monitoring systems.
“There is a need to relook at equipping fishers with the needed communication and monitoring gadgets and systems while at sea for enhanced safety,” he said.
