The Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) has called for a national dialogue on the safety of fishermen at sea in the wake of recent accidents claiming the lives of some fishermen.
Mr. George Adjetey Tawiah, the National Organizer of CaFGOAG, who made the call, said the Association was worried about the rate of accidents at sea and their associated deaths and damages to canoes and fishing gear.
Mr. Tawiah, also the Chief Executive Officer of Azantona Fishing Enterprise, made the call when he presented a paper on artisanal fishermen’s utilisation of weather and climate information at the 15th International Training Workshop on Climate Variability and Predictions.
The workshop, sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization and USAID, among other partners, is to provide climate and weather information to fishers to guide their activities and ensure their safety.
Mr Tawiah urged the Ghana Meteorological Agency to iinstitutionalse meetings either quarterly or half-yearly with fishermen to build their capacity in utilising weather information.
He entreated the Agency to share the weather forecast with fishers early enough before they embarked on their fishing expeditions to serve as a guide.
He called for sustainable education on climate change, climate crises, and the utilisation of weather and climate information to promote safety at sea.
The issue of accidents at sea had become a worry for maritime stakeholders, as many fishermen had lost their lives in such incidents.
A few days ago, a similar incident occurred at the Ada estuary, leading to the deaths of two fishermen whose bodies were washed ashore at Vuti in the Volta Region some days later.
According to CaFGOAG, the nets of the fishermen involved in the accident, including the outboard motor of one of the canoes, were still missing.
