Seven fishers have been rescued from a distressed fishing boat off the coast of Benin in a coordinated operation involving the navies of Ghana, Togo and Benin.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture announced the rescue in a press statement issued today.
According to the Ministry, a distress alert was issued on Wednesday, October 21, by the Ghana Navy and the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC-E). The Togolese Navy then deployed its patrol vessel OTI, which located the boat about three nautical miles off Grand-Popo, in Beninese waters.
All seven people on board were rescued and given assistance. The fishing vessel is being towed towards the Ghana-Togo maritime boundary, where it will be handed over to the Ghana Navy.
The Ministry commended the three navies for their swift response and what it described as effective regional cooperation.
Safety appeal to fishers
The Ministry used the occasion to call on fishers to put safety first. It urged them to:
check weather conditions before departure,wear life jackets,carry reliable communication equipment, and strictly observe maritime safety advisories.
“No fishing expedition is worth a human life,” the statement said. It added that every fisher must take responsibility for safety at sea and that every effort must be made to ensure their safe return home.
The statement was issued by the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
