The Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya West, Gizella Tetteh, says fishermen who were attacked at sea are still waiting to be brought back to shore as rescue efforts continue.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News, she explained that four canoes had been sent to assist the affected fishermen after their outboard motors were taken during the raid.
Read also: Gunmen raid night fishing crew in Awutu Senya, seize outboard motors and generator
“We are still waiting for the boats. You know from here four canoes had to go, and because the outboard motors are off the other boats, they have to be towed back to shore,” she said.
“The Senya Canoe Owners sent four boats to go and do that,” she added.
Ms Tetteh noted that each fishing boat usually carries a large crew. “You know, typically there are about 20 people at least on a boat when they go out to sea. There are like 20 people at a time on the boat. So there are quite a few people involved,” she said.
She dismissed reports that the fishermen had been taken hostage, insisting that what happened was a robbery.
“But as far as I know, nobody has been taken hostage. That report, I think, is not quite accurate. It’s just a theft. I mean theft with robbery. You can say it’s a robbery because they had their guns and everything,” she explained.
She added that the incident had left the fishermen shaken. “One fisherman told me that he’s never seen this in his life before, and it was quite scary,” she said.
Ms Tetteh said she had been at the shore since morning. “I’ve been here since 9:30, just waiting for them to make sure that they are brought to shore and they are safe,” she said.
She disclosed that one of the affected boats had been towed to Tema after a fisherman managed to secure a hook onto another vessel.
“One of the other boats was towed to Tema because someone managed to get a hook onto somebody’s boat. That’s how they do it. They hook themselves onto the other boat, and they go. So he is in Tema. I just spoke to him,” she said.
However, she said those returning to Senya Bereku were still at sea and expected to arrive later.
Describing the fishermen’s routine, she said they normally go out in groups at night and return by morning with their catch to sell.
“They go out in the night, and by morning they’ve come with their catch. They sell their fish, and then they’re done,” she said.
For now, the main concern is getting the stranded fishermen safely back to shore. Without their outboard motors, they are unable to move their boats.
“They are literally sitting there in their boats without motors, and they don’t use paddles these days, so they can’t even move. So that’s why they have to be towed by their colleagues back,” she said.
She added that communication had been difficult, but they are waiting for them.
“Some of them have phones, so we were communicating with some of them earlier. But I think now they are in a bad network area, so we’re not getting them. But we are waiting,” she said.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com