The Tema Metropolitan Security Council (MESEC) has instituted a five-member committee to investigate circumstances leading to the death of two fishermen at sea, early Thursday morning, July 27.
The committee, made up of NADMO, CID, National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), Fire Service and representative from the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has ten days to submit its report.
Yohanne Amarh Ashitey, the TMA Chief Executive and the head of the Metropolitan Security Council, told newsmen that the committee has a mandate to decipher the truth as to what specifically happened at sea on that Thursday.
“I hope that the report by the committee, within the next 10 days, would put to rest all speculations, conflicting reports and help avoid recurrence in future,” Mr Ashitey said, after an emergency security meeting with stakeholders including police, fire service, NADMO and the Ghana Navy at the TMA.
Yohanne Amarh Ashitey observed that a communication gap could be a major factor to the incident. He was of the view that the enforcement of the closed season, which also coincides with preparation towards the Homowo Festival in Tema, could have played a role, since the fishers go to sea to usher in the festival.
Meanwhile, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), in a press release on Thursday, absolved itself of any blame after having earlier been linked to the tugboat that collided with a canoe, leading to the death of the two fishers.
Abena Serwaah Opoku Fosu, the Marketing and Public Affairs Manager at the Tema Port, explained that the Port Control Station on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at about 3am received a distress call from MV. SEASPAN DUBAI for assistance, to ward off several fishing boats which had surrounded their vessel.
Immediately, she said the security patrol team, which comprises the Ghana Navy, Marine Police and GPHA Security responded and asked the said fishing boat owners to leave.
“At 01:18HRS, MT. MARINA ‘M’ which was also at the anchorage, called the Port Control Station for assistance to ward off a suspicious-looking fishing boat with about nine occupants. The team, again, responded by cautioning and directing the boat and its occupants to row out,” she explained in the press release copied to The Chronicle.
She said the patrol team, on their way back, chanced upon another set of fishermen who had cast their nets and were fishing within the Terminal Three basin, close to a container vessel.
“The nets were seized and the men were cautioned and led out of the basin. All patrol activities were halted at 04:55HRS on Thursday, July 27, 2023 without any incident of collision whatsoever,” she explained.
Later, she said a call from the Fishing Harbour Police Unit announced the discovery of two dead bodies, which the fishermen prevented the police team from conveying, with the assertion that the two died as a result of a collision with a GPHA tugboat.
“That is not true. Even though the fishermen are aware of the dangers of fishing within the port basin and anchorage, some continue to carry out these illegal activities at the peril of their own lives and that of vessels and cargo.
“Despite these infractions, on occasions where we arrest fishermen and seize their nets, the Chief Fisherman and elders are notified and often the culprits are pardoned and nets released without any fines.
“We wish to emphasise that GPHA is a responsible organisation involved in search and rescue missions and as such will not abandon victims of a collision even if it involved our craft,” Abena Serwaah Opoku Fosu noted.
