The affected fishermen now find themselves in dire need of government’s aid to recover from the devastating blow dealt to their means of livelihood.

The Chief Fisherman of James Town, Nii Armah Wulu, attributed the wreckage to the limited space available for the canoes, compelling fishermen to tightly pack their vessels in close quarters.

“Due to the cramped space near the harbour, fishermen are unable to maintain a safe distance between their canoes during adverse weather conditions, leading to collisions and subsequent damage.”

A victim, Samuel Larbi also recounted the anguish of witnessing his canoe succumb to the force of high tides colliding with the sea defense.

He expressed distress over the daunting financial burden of repairing or purchasing a new canoe.

“When the high tides occurred, our canoes collided with the sea defense, destroying my canoe. Yesterday when the incident happened, I couldn’t even finish half a portion of Banku. This situation has taken a toll on me. Repairing or purchasing a new canoe will cost me a fortune,” he told Citi News.

The affected fishermen have however been working together to salvage the remains of their damaged canoes and appeal to the government for support.

They also urged the government to extend the construction of sea defenses from Osikan Beach Resort to integrate with those being erected as part of the fishing harbour initiative to safeguard them against future calamities.

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Blogger, SikaOffical shared videos of their ambitious journey in a post on X formerly Twitter.

It is not clear how long it took these men to build the huge boat but their first video came public on January 29, 2024.

With little details about the community, the video captured many men believed to be fisherfolks carefully put the masterpiece together.

A new video on Friday, February 16 captured a neatly designed and painted boat being set sail as bystanders applauded their efforts.

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Watch the videos below:

The Ghanaian fishermen who undertook the ambitious project of building a 21st-century Noah's Ark have now achieved their goal and successfully launched the ark. https://t.co/5EC5omjOVa pic.twitter.com/jWABdmjKfK

— SIKAOFFICIAL? (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) February 16, 2024

Plastic bags have emerged as a major pollutant, causing filth and harm to marine life in the area. The repercussions are severe, endangering the livelihoods of many in the community.

Expressing concern about the escalating plastic pollution along the beachfront and other wetlands, environmentally conscious citizens are advocating for immediate action.

The National Coordinator for the group, Awulah Serwah stated that it is time for the country to ban single-use plastic.

“First of all, it starts in the home. There was a time when the town council ensured that each house was clean. Second of all, we really need to educate people, and then we have to have enforcement,” Serwah emphasised.

She urged the government and relevant authorities to take action, proposing on-the-spot fines for those littering on the beach.

“You can have receptacles which collect plastic and let people know to put their plastic waste there, but not on the beach.

“Anybody who decides that the beach is a dustbin, fine them. We say there’s unemployment, create employment. Have people who patrol the environment, the beaches, the streets, what have you. People drop litter, you fine them immediately,” she suggested.

Serwah acknowledged that citizens also bear a responsibility to care for the beach, emphasising the need to dispose of waste in bins, stating, “There’s absolutely no excuse to litter.”

Fishermen in the community have also lamented the surge in filth along the coastline. They highlighted the severe risks, as the pollution threatens the livelihoods of many.

President of the Fishermen Association, Arnold Landlord refuted claims that their group is responsible for the beach’s filth.

“Most people think we fishermen are responsible for the filth at the beaches. Truth is, we are not responsible for the filth. The filth comes from the people at Agbogbloshie and areas around the Korle. They usually dump their refuse into the lagoon, which then flows into the sea, especially when it rains,” he said.

Nii Lantey, a fisherman benefiting from the local economy created by fishing activities, fears that plastic pollution could jeopardise his income.

“The filth really affects us fishermen. We have no one to speak for us on the matter. We really need help with the clearing of the waste at the seashore because of the filth; we are not able to have a good catch. We pull out our net sometimes and welcome waste instead of fish,” he expressed.

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Fishermen in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra region have expressed their frustration over the seeming collapse of a cold storage facility in the area.

The cold storage facility, built by the Spanish General Secretariat of Maritime Fisheries through the Spanish Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Management Plan, to address post-harvest fish losses in the Ningo-Prampram District, has been left to rot.

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Joseph Nii Armah, President of the Inshore Fishers Association of Ghana, speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Wednesday, said the refrigeration facility abandoned due to its indebtedness to Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has been left at the mercy of the sea breeze and hard weather conditions.

“It has been several years now since the ECG disconnected power supply to the facility over accumulated debt, resulting in the lock up of the facility. And since its lock up, the facility has been deteriorating at a fast rate which is really affecting the fishing business in the area,” he said.

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He also noted that aside the storage facility being used to prevent post-harvest losses; it produced ice cubes in large quantities used by fishermen to preserve fish whilst at sea.

Speaking also on the same show, Rexford Omari, the 2018 best fisherman could not hide his frustration over the situation, saying the lack of cold storage facilities in the country is resulting in a lot of financial losses to fishermen.

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 “Instead of selling a crate of fish for GH¢ 160.00, we are forced to sell them for as low as GH¢ 30.00, we are really losing money,” he cried.

The fishermen are, therefore, pleading with President Nana Akufo-Addo to intervene and have the situation immediately resolved.

Flags are generally used as symbols, signalling devices or for decoration.

Associations and countries have various reasons for settling on one type of flag or another. A regular scene at Ghana’s coasts is canoes having various flags, high up.

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JoyNews’ Joseph Ackah-Blay spent some time at the Tema Fishing Harbour where an argument ensued among fishermen on why they sail with distinct flags.

Watch his report above:

Source: Ghana | Joy News | Joseph Ackah-Blay

The situation has compelled them to dispose some of their catch back into the sea as the season is being characterized by poor sales.

During this period of the year, salmon, herrings and other related species of fish are harvested in larger quantities and this calls for pragmatic steps to stock the unused harvest so as to deal with post harvest losses in the sector.

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Nii Ayitey Botwey, the Secretary of the Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association in Sekondi, who confirmed the situation, said the price fall and the throwing of catches back into the sea could be tackled with appropriate measures by institutions concerned to create sustainable job for the players in the industry.

“When there is more catch prices go down, when there’s scarcity prices shoot up”, he said.

A visit to the beach revealed that a bucket or basin of fish which sold between 350 and 400 cedis was now being sold for GH40 to GH50 at the harbour.

Madam Faustina Ayi, Queen mother for the fishmongers Association at the harbour, said the situation was even worse on Tuesdays since many people assumed that fishermen would not bring fishes or go to sea as it was a sacred day for the fishing industry.

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“On Tuesdays, the fishermen do not get buyers for their catch. They have to throw a lot of the fish back into the ocean because they cannot process them”, she said.

Madam Ayi said the situation has become an annual affair, which needs to be addressed.

Some fishermen and fishmongers described the situation as an unfortunate, particularly in times when the country is battling with a dwindling fish stock and food security.

Mr Patrick Tawiah, Technical officer of the Fisheries Commission, said many of the fishes caught in the day under question are ‘juvenile fishes which did not attract market’.

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He said landing on Monday and Tuesday with these juvenile fishes also meant that the fishermen flouted sea regulations of not fishing on Tuesdays and that accounted for the throwing of some of the fishes back into the sea.

Mr Tawiah said fish processors usually did not like to work on the pelagic which they claim could go bad easily and did not ensure value for money.

The angry fishermen claim the company is uprooting trees from the lake and the spillage of oil from the machines being used is gradually killing the fish stock.

The protestors also claim efforts to get the government to address the issue has been unsuccessful.

According to the fishermen, the tree stamps is where the fishers lay their eggs so uprooting them is counterproductive and is affecting their work and incomes.

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Adom News has reported that the angry fishermen feel disappointed in the company failing to notify them before taking suGhana cedis from the stamps; more so, ch action hence their decision to register their displeasure.

The protesters say given the chance, they could make as much as 500 to 600 million Ghana Cedis from the stamps; more so, they were not consulted for their inputs into the programme, a situation they feel smacks of disrespect for them.

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Naa Afoley Quaye at a press meeting last Friday, announced government’s decision to enforce a one-month ban (August to September) on all fishing activities in Ghana to increase fish stock within the period.

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The decision has not gone down well with some fisher folks; some are calling for a reversal of the decision because they were not given prior notice. The minority has also kicked against the move.

However, spokesperson for the Chorkor fishermen, Nii Clottey, said the ban is a step in the right direction since it will increase fish stock within the period.

“The Government’s directive is a good move. It’s not true we are in support of the minority’s views on the ban,” Nii Clottey stated.

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Nii Clottey observed that some fisher folks visited some officials of the then NDC government to map out strategies to protect fishes in the sea and create enough stock for consumption, but they were turned down.

“We went to them [NDC government] to deliberate on how to increase fish stock but they didn’t listen to us, resulting in our current predicament. Today, a government is here to support us and you want us to follow your demonstration against this good measure? Never!” Nii Clottey stressed.

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“It’s good they are demonstrating, but we are not in support,” he said.

Nii Clottey further advised other fisher folks in the country to strictly adhere to the position taken by the government to help conserve fish stock in Ghana’s waters.

Mr Okumo, who is also a leading fisherman in Tema said although there were other candidates striving for the leadership of the Party, Mr Bagbin’s political pedigree was influential enough to place them at the political pinnacle.

Speaking at a News conference held at the Canoe Beach, within the fishing harbour enclave, Mr Okumo said the NPP government had so far not convinced them that it could make the fuel available at all times for their expeditions.

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By “No Bagbin, no vote, this is what we fishermen are saying to the NDC. We mean it and we will not change our minds,” Mr Okumo said.

Flanked by, Issaka Lantei, another prominent fisherman at the News conference, Mr Okumo said the generality of fishermen felt that among all the personalities named in connection with the NDC’s flagbearership for 2020, only Mr Bagbin looked winsome and surest of all to lead the party to victory.

He said Former President Mahama, was still admired among fishermen because of good things that his administration did for fishermen, such as; lowering the prices of fishing gear and making premix fuel readily available. “However, because of the allegations of corruption against him, electing him as flagbearer will be risky for the NDC in 2020 as the current government will use all those corruption allegations against him to drive voters away.”

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Mr Okumo alleged that under the current government, outboard motors had become too expensive to buy, while fishing gears like hooks, nets and canoes had become prohibitive to acquire, which was totally opposite to what pertained under the late President Mills and later, President John Mahama.

“To make matters worse, fishermen are being harassed day and night by government taskforces at sea,” Mr. Okumo lamented.

Mr Okumo said the generality of fishermen had lost faith in the NPP government and were yearning for the return of the NDC, but that the fishing community want Mr Bagbin to lead the NDC because he was the surest bet to lead the NDC to power and bring back its pro-fishing policies.

Mr Bagbin, he added was liked by the fishing community because he was known to have used his long stay in Parliament to initiate and back laws that benefited fishermen.

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The News conference was attended by scores of fishermen and fishmongers, who thronged the Canoe Beach of the Tema Harbour in solidarity.

Issaka Lantei, a leading fisherman in Tema made it clear that he had no political affiliation, but was in support of everything that Mr Okumo had said.

He, however, alleged that fishermen were victimised under the NPP government, adding that while all other farmers benefiting in different ways, we fishermen are being victimised”.

The fishermen numbering about 15 and fully armed with guns, machetes, bow and arrows and other materials, allegedly shot at the unarmed task force members.

The incident led to seven members of the taskforce sustaining various degrees of cutlass wounds.

Nii Ayetey Dinson, Chairman of the Canoe Owners Association, Prampram and a member of the taskforce, told the Ghana News Agency that they had information from an informant that the fishermen had planned attacking them should they confront them on their illegal fishing activities.

Nii Dinson said between 0100 and 0130 hours, members of the taskforce numbering about 80, who were on patrol duties met the fishermen on the sea at Prampram where they (fishermen) started firing arrows, gun and throwing other objects at them.

He added that they however managed to arrest 15 of the fishermen who they handed over to the police for prosecution.

He lamented that engaging in illegal fishing which involved the use of light, dynamites, carbide and DDT poses a serious health risk to consumers of fish.

The taskforce member appealed to the Ministry of Fisheries to liaise with the Ministry of Defense and Ministry for the Interior to deploy officers at the sea shore to prevent fishermen engaging in illegal fishing from anchoring to bring their catch to land.

He added that since members of the taskforce operated without weapons, it would be appropriate if the Ministry could facilitate an agreement to allow them to join the Navy and Marine Police’ vessel for patrol on the sea to avoid such attacks.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency, DSP Issah Mohammed Cantona, Prampram District Police Commander, confirmed that the 15 fishermen who were arrested on Monday were in the Prampram Police custody adding that “they would be granted bail on Tuesday and processed for court by Friday.”

Prior to this attack, some fisherfolks had staged a number of protests to register their disapproval of the introduction of the volunteers taskforce to fight and check illegal fishing activities as a means to replenish the fish stock of the country and provide healthy fish to consumers.

In May this year, over 100 fisher folks from Akplabanya clad in red calico stormed the Otrokpe Basic School Park in Ada Foah were the inauguration of the taskforce was been held and pulled down canopies to express their displeasure at the introduction of the taskforce.

One victim, Kwame Mensah who spoke to Adom News said they were swept by strong wave on the stormy sea together with the boat until they were rescued by another group of fishermen at Axim in Nzema East Municipal in the Western Region.

He disclosed that, nine of them were rescued including three teenagers but a 56-year-old Mr. Ampofi Tawiah has still not been found after the incident.

“We were hit by a strong wave that led to the capsizing of our boat when we were returning from fishing. We were ten. I was in the canoe. It was the wave that capsized the boat. We tried our best to recover one from the sea but we couldn’t find him” he cried out.

Meanwhile, two of the victims have been admitted at the Axim Government Hospital for medical attention.

The incident has since been reported to the Ellembele police who have begun investigations into the matter.

Click on attached audio for more

The bizarre animal was picked up by a Dutch trawler near Hoek van Holland, and is the first known case of conjoined twin porpoises.

Fearing it would be illegal to keep the specimen, the fishermen took a few quick photographs of the dead creature and threw it back into the ocean.

Experts at the University of Rotterdam are now poring over those photographs in the hopes of learning more about parapagus dicephalus – partial twinning – in marine life.

Two-headed porpoise caught in fishing net

They have already confirmed that the porpoises died shortly after birth because the tail had not stiffened, which allows newborn porpoises to swim.

Both heads also had small hairs on the upper lip, which should fall out shortly after the animals are born.

The harbour porpoise is one of the most common cetaceans – a group of marine life which includes whales and dolphins – found in north west European waters.

“The anatomy of cetaceans is strikingly different from terrestrial mammals with adaptations for living in the sea as a mammal. Much is unknown,” Erwin Kompanje, of the Erasmus MC University Medical Center in Rotterdam, told the New Scientist.

“Adding any extra case to the known nine specimens brings more knowledge on this aspect.”

He said it was regrettable that the fisherman decided to throw the creature back into the ocean, as it is unlikely it will ever be seen again.

The two-headed porpoise is the 10th example of a conjoined twin to be found within the cetaceans group.

“Normal twins are extremely rare in cetaceans,” added Mr Kompanje.

“There is simply not enough room in the body of the female to give room to more than one fetus.”

The suspects, including women and children were arrested by a local watchdog committee set up by the Prampram fisherfolks to prevent illegal fishing activities in the area.

However, some of the suspects were subjected to severe beatings by the Prampram fisherfolks for invading their area with their illegal fishing methods.

Explanation

Confirming the incident to Graphic Online, the Prampram District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Issah Mohammed Cantonam, said the suspects were arrested between May 1 and May 7, this year.

He said the first batch of the illegal fishermen, involving 97 people, including women and children were arrested on Monday, May 1, 2017 while the second batch, comprising 40 people were arrested on Saturday, May 7, this year.

He said items retrieved from the suspects included 17 canoes, power generators, electrical cables and lights, and other illegal fishing tools.

He told Graphic Online that most of the fishermen come from Ada and Tema Newtown in the Greater Accra Region.

Arrest

Explaining why some of the suspected illegal fishermen were manhandled, DSP Cantonam said when the members of the local “sea watchdog committee” confronted them, the illegal fishermen attempted to pour petrol on them thus leading to a scuffle between the locals and the illegal fishermen.

He said due to the activities of illegal fishermen, most coastal areas have set up “sea watchdog committees” as part of measures to halt the illegal activities.

He said the police have seized all the illegal fishing tools from the suspects, including their canoes.

DSP Cantonam, however, said the suspects have been granted bail but would be processed for court soon, adding that the police would also investigate the matter to deal with those who vented their anger on the suspects.

According to them, since the new government took over power in January 2017, fishermen in the area struggle to get premix fuel due to politics which they claim is affecting their work.

Speaking with Adom News, the fishermen said some people who are known NPP supporters buy the fuel at a cheaper price and sell it to them at a higher price which is not healthy for their business.

They are calling on government to intervene or face their wrath.

Listen to some fishermen

Meanwhile, the Pru East Inland Coordinator for the fishermen, Ibrahim Yahaya says government must step in to protect the interest of the “poor” fishermen not any party interest.

Secretary of the Boat Owners Association at Yeji area, John Kpeli is calling on the minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture to intervene immediately to save their business.