- “The rescue of seven Ghanaian fishermen who drifted into Benin’s waters has brought relief to their families and communities. But the incident raises difficult questions about safety at sea, inadequate equipment and what must change to prevent another search for missing fishermen.”
By: Daniel Yao Akpabli | Inside Ghana News Service (IGNEWSS)
When it was announced that the search for seven missing Ghanaian fishermen was over, there was plenty to celebrate. After days of speculation, the men had been found and were reported to be alive, bringing to a close the operation that brought together maritime authorities of several nations of the Gulf of Guinea.
However, as I sat at my editing desk and considered the story, one question kept occurring : Is the search really over?
Yes, the operation for the previous hours may have ended, but what comes next? Will the incident be used as a lesson in safety at sea and the need for improvement in the practices of artisanal fishing? Will there be an analysis of the circumstances that made the men drift into foreign waters following the malfunctioning of their boat? Most importantly, will the challenges confronting those responsible for protecting lives at sea receive the attention they deserve?
These are not questions meant to undermine the effort of the search and rescue team. Quite the contrary, the incident showed the benefits of cooperation among maritime authorities and determination of the men on their quest to find the missing. The fishermen were fortunate to be alive after the ordeal.
However, successful rescue of lives should not be the end point of all these. It should serve as the starting point of examining what went wrong, what worked and what must change.
A rescue that raises uncomfortable questions
Video footage of the search and rescue mission, including clips that appeared on the Ghana Navy’s and Ghana Maritime Authority’s Facebook page, gave the first glimpse of the seven men and their condition. The details of the videos caught my attention: the men did not appear to be wearing life jackets.
This raises important questions in terms of safety of lives at sea. When the boat broke down and began to drift into the water, the fishermen were left at the mercy of waves. If the boat capsized or the men were left in the water, what would they use as a protection while waiting for help?
A life jacket cannot prevent every tragedy at sea, but it can significantly improve a person’s chances of staying afloat. When a vessel breaks down and drifts beyond its intended route, the crew may have little control over what happens next. Strong currents, changing weather and exhaustion can quickly turn a mechanical problem into a life-threatening emergency.
The fishermen were fortunate to survive. But safety at sea should not depend on fortune.
The available footage alone cannot establish every safety measure taken by the crew, nor does it explain whether life jackets were available on board. Those questions deserve clarification. More importantly, the incident should prompt a broader discussion about access to, and the use of, basic safety equipment among artisanal fishers.
For many fishing communities, a canoe is more than a vessel. It is a means of earning a living and supporting a household. A breakdown can threaten not only the catch but also the lives of the people on board. Safety equipment must therefore be treated as an essential part of fishing operations, rather than an optional expense.
The risks facing artisanal fishers
It is on record that artisanal fishing remains central to the livelihoods of many coastal communities in Ghana. From Denu, Blekusu, keta, Ada, Accra, Capecoast to Axim. With this, families are supported, local markets sustained and contributing to the country’s fisheries sector. However it looks like not much attention have been given to them and the risks faced by those who work in small fishing canoes.
Many operators work far from shore, sometimes for extended periods and in vessels with limited equipment. When engines fail, communication becomes difficult, or weather conditions deteriorate, their ability to summon assistance may be limited.
The case of the seven fishermen aboard the canoe “Second Chance” illustrates how quickly a routine fishing expedition can develop into an international search-and-rescue operation.
The fishermen reportedly left Sekondi for Axim in the Western Region on October 9, 2026. An engine failure left their canoe at the mercy of winds and currents, carrying it eastward into Benin’s waters.
Their eventual rescue depended on cooperation involving maritime authorities in Ghana, Togo and Benin, alongside local fishermen who assisted in the operation.
The outcome demonstrates the importance of regional cooperation. It also highlights a practical question: how can authorities identify a vessel in distress quickly enough to prevent a difficult situation from becoming a prolonged search?
The answer must involve more than responding when a canoe is reported missing. It requires measures that help prevent emergencies, make vessels easier to locate and improve the chances of survival when something goes wrong.
Should tracking devices become mandatory?
One measure worthy of serious consideration is the introduction of affordable location-transmitting devices for artisanal fishing canoes.
Such technology could help authorities establish a vessel’s last known position and narrow the area that search teams must cover when a crew is reported missing. Depending on the system adopted, tracking devices could also help identify vessels that have travelled well beyond their intended routes.
For Ghana, the challenge would be to find a system suited to the realities of small-scale fishing. Devices must be affordable, durable and easy to operate. They must also function reliably in the marine environment and be supported by a monitoring and response system capable of acting on the information they provide.
Making such equipment mandatory without considering the financial circumstances of canoe owners and operators could create additional burdens for people whose incomes are often uncertain. Government and relevant agencies should therefore explore subsidies, phased implementation or other support arrangements if a national tracking requirement is adopted.
Tracking technology, however, is not a substitute for basic safety measures. Life jackets, reliable communication equipment, routine engine checks, appropriate emergency supplies and practical safety training remain essential.
Nor would a tracking device, on its own, guarantee a successful rescue. Its value depends on whether distress can be detected, information can be shared and response teams have the resources to reach those in danger.
The objective should be to build a system in which prevention, early detection and effective response reinforce one another.
The question of logistics
The fishermen’s rescue also directs attention to the operational capacity of the institutions responsible for maritime safety.
During the press conference after the operation, a speaker highlighted logistical challenges affecting the capabilities of the naval authorities. The concerns, as described, included the need for resources to strengthen maritime surveillance, detect and deter illegal activities, improve maritime domain awareness and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents.
Those concerns deserve attention beyond the immediate relief surrounding the rescue.
Search-and-rescue operations require trained personnel, seaworthy vessels, reliable communications, surveillance capabilities and the resources to sustain operations over time. When a missing vessel drifts across national boundaries, the demands become even greater. Authorities must exchange information, establish responsibility for different areas of operation and coordinate the movement of search teams.
The cooperation among Ghanaian, Togolese and Beninese authorities helped bring the latest operation to a successful conclusion however, regional collaboration should not obscure the need to strengthen national capacity.
If maritime agencies lack essential equipment, the consequences may extend beyond the difficulty of locating missing fishermen. Also, Limited surveillance can undermine efforts to identify distress situations early and respond to other threats at sea.
The call to relevant authorities is to assess the logistical gaps identified during the operation and determine what additional resources are required. Such an assessment should be followed by clear priorities, funding commitments and a means of measuring progress.
It is not enough to acknowledge a shortage of equipment after an emergency. The real test is whether the necessary action follows.
Beyond the announcement that the search is over
There is also a case for a formal review of the incident.
Such a review need not be an exercise in assigning blame. Its purpose should be to establish the sequence of events, identify gaps in safety and communication, document the lessons from the multinational response and recommend measures to reduce the risk of a recurrence.
The review could examine whether the canoe carried functioning communication and navigation equipment, what safety provisions were available to the crew, how quickly the vessel was reported missing and whether the response could have been initiated earlier.
It could also consider the experience of the fishermen themselves. Their account of what happened, the difficulties they faced while drifting and the assistance they received could offer valuable lessons for other fishing crews.
A committee or technical working group involving maritime authorities, fisheries officials, canoe owners, fishermen’s associations and coastal communities could help translate those lessons into practical recommendations.
Any resulting proposals should be made public, with clear responsibilities and realistic timelines for implementation. Without follow-through, even a well-intentioned review risks becoming another report filed away after public attention has moved elsewhere.
Fishermen must be part of the solution
Policies designed to improve safety will be more effective if the people who go to sea help shape them.
Canoe owners and fishing crews understand the practical challenges of their work. They can explain what equipment is commonly available, what it costs to maintain a vessel and why some safety precautions may be neglected. Their participation can help authorities develop rules that are both effective and realistic.
Safety education should also be continuous rather than limited to occasional sensitisation exercises. Fishermen need practical guidance on emergency communication, engine failure, changing weather conditions, the use of life jackets and what to do when a canoe begins drifting away from its intended route.
Traditional fishing practices and local knowledge remain valuable, but they must be complemented by appropriate equipment and clear emergency procedures.
The government and relevant agencies should also consider how to make essential safety equipment accessible to lower-income operators. Where compliance requires additional spending, financial assistance and affordable procurement arrangements may be necessary to ensure that the smallest operators are not left behind.
Ultimately, the goal should be to make safety a normal part of fishing, not a requirement remembered only after an accident.
A Gulf of Guinea responsibility
The incident also demonstrates that maritime emergencies do not always respect national boundaries.
A canoe that leaves one fishing community can drift into another country’s waters, requiring neighbouring states to share information and coordinate their response. This makes cooperation among countries along the Gulf of Guinea essential.
The successful involvement of authorities in Ghana, Togo and Benin provides a practical example of why those relationships matter. Continued investment in communication channels, joint procedures and the exchange of maritime information could help improve future responses.
Regional cooperation should extend beyond emergencies to include shared lessons, training and discussions on affordable safety systems for small-scale fishing vessels.
For coastal communities across West Africa, the issue is not simply how to rescue fishermen after they go missing. It is how to reduce the likelihood that they will disappear at sea without a reliable way to locate them.
The search must lead to action
The seven fishermen have a second chance at life. Their safe return is a moment of relief for their families and a credit to the people and institutions that helped find them.
But it must also serve as a warning.
Must Ghana wait for another group of fishermen to go missing before addressing the challenges that have been exposed? Must another search stretch across borders before the country commits to improving equipment, strengthening surveillance and making basic safety provisions more accessible to artisanal fishers?
The answers should not depend on the next emergency.
The authorities have a responsibility to examine the lessons of this incident, consider affordable tracking systems, address logistical gaps and work with fishing communities to improve safety at sea. The public, too, should expect more than announcements made when a rescue succeeds. It should expect action that reduces the chances of another family waiting anxiously for news of a missing relative.
The search for the seven men is over. But the search for safer conditions for Ghana’s artisanal fishermen must continue.
The real measure of this rescue should not be only that seven men returned home alive, but whether the lessons learned help ensure that fewer or NO fishermen face the same danger in the future.
Akpe
SOURCE: www.ignewss.com