The Commanding Officer of the Western Naval Command, Commander Charles Darkwah, has called on the government to invest in Ghana’s maritime surveillance and emergency response systems after seven fishermen were rescued from a canoe that drifted into Beninese territorial waters.
Commander Darkwah said the search for the crew of the Second Chance canoe had been successful, but also exposed weaknesses that could put lives at risk during future incidents at sea.
The operation was affected by communication difficulties, the absence of a distress signal transponder on the canoe and limited night-vision capabilities.
“Despite the successful rescue mission, there were some challenges, including difficulty in communication, lack of distress signal transponders on the canoe, and inadequate night vision capabilities,” he said.
He explained that without a distress transponder, locating the canoe was more difficult. Poor communication and restricted visibility during night operations also slowed the search and rescue effort.
Commander Darkwah said the incident demonstrated the importance of closer and sustained cooperation between organisations involved in maritime safety and security.
He urged the government to support investment in dependable communication networks, enhanced surveillance systems and stronger naval operational capacity.
Among the equipment he identified as necessary were suitable ships, high-speed interceptor boats and high-endurance maritime drones.
According to Commander Darkwah, those assets would improve the Ghana Navy’s ability to monitor Ghana’s maritime space, detect distress situations earlier, coordinate rescue efforts and respond more rapidly.
“Such investments are essential to safeguarding lives at sea, improving maritime domain awareness, and reducing the occurrence of similar incidents in the future.
“The Ghana Navy would want to assure the government that once our strategic and quick-fix assets are procured, the area surveillance, wide area patrol coverage, and response challenges would drastically improve our ability to timely and effectively mitigate future maritime security challenges,” he added.
The appeal comes as fishing communities along Ghana’s coast continue to rely on canoes for their livelihoods. Many fishermen travel far offshore, often with limited safety equipment, increasing the importance of effective communication, surveillance and rapid emergency response.
