Four Naval officers injured in a clash with fishermen at Sekondi Fishing Harbour

Four Naval officers of the Western Naval Command in Sekondi were on Friday morning seriously injured when they clashed with fishermen at the Sekondi Fishing harbour in an attempt to enforce the new fisheries regulations.

The four, whose names were withheld, were rushed to the sickbay of the Naval Command for treatment, Lieutenant Alfred Martey, the Two Garrison Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency.

He said the Fisheries Taskforce, comprising the Navy, Police, BNI and officials of the Fisheries Commission of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, were on their routine patrol checks at the Bosomtwi Fishing Harbour at Sekondi on Friday October 21.

The taskforce saw a generator, bulbs and some electrical gadgets in one of the canoes, indicating that they were either going for light fishing with them or had returned from fishing with the gadgets.

Lt. Martey said since it is illegal to use such explosives for fishing, they attempted to seize them but resulted in a scuffle between the taskforce and the fishermen while some fishmongers hooted and threw stones and other missiles at them.

The PRO said that the missiles hit the head of the Naval officers resulting in open wound. He was rushed for treatment.

He said if not for the professional manner in which the taskforce behaved, it would have resulted in serious injuries on the fishermen since the taskforce were fully armed.

He said so far no one has been arrested but investigation is on-going.

Lt. Martey asked the public to cooperate with them to carry out their mandate to save the country’s fish stock from total destruction.

Source: GNA