By: Daniel Yao Akpabli | ignewss – Sekondi, Ghana
The Western Regional Marine Police Command is coordinating a search for a missing fishing canoe and its seven crew members after the vessel failed to return from a fishing expedition off the coast of Sekondi.
In a statement dated October 20, 2026 and signed by Chief Superintendent Olivia Ette Aduku, Head of the Public Affairs Unit, the Western Regional Police Command said it was working with the Ghana Navy, Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Fisheries Commission and fishing communities to establish the whereabouts of the missing canoe and its crew.
According to the statement, the owner of the canoe, Nana Kweku Atta, reported at the Fishing Harbour Police Station in Sekondi on October 18, 2026, that the vessel had departed the Sekondi Fishing Harbour on October 9 for a fishing expedition off the coast of Axim but had not returned.
Preliminary investigations suggest that repeated attempts to contact the crew have been unsuccessful.
The police said a subsequent update indicated that the canoe might have suffered engine failure and drifted towards Tema and the Volta coast. However, its last known position has yet to be confirmed.
The Western Naval Command, Ghana Maritime Authority, Fisheries Commission, relevant coastal police stations, chief fishermen and the Eastern Naval Command have been alerted to assist in the search.
The police are also working with the relevant agencies to establish the canoe’s last known position and locate the crew.
However, fishing communities along the coast have been urged to report any sightings or information about the missing vessel to the nearest police station.
SOURCE: www.ignewss.com