Canoes Invading Offshore Oil Fields, Illegally Bringing In Immigrants

Some fishing canoe incursions into Ghana have been accused of allegedly transporting persons from neighbuoring Cote d’Ivoire and other countries owing to the closure of the Ghana’s borders.

These fishermen have also been chided by authorities for their increased activities at the country’s offshore oil fields, due to impression that oil and gas activities on the country’s three independent oil fields are on hold.

Following the developments, the Western Regional branch of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (W/R-GNCFC) has warned that any fisherman caught transporting people via sea or fishing close to the offshore oil installations following lockdown directive would be arrested and prosecuted.

The Regional Chairman of the GNCFC, Nana Odwiri, said “I want to tell the fishing community that we have heard reports of the incursions, and I want to let you know that, oil and gas activities are still ongoing, the fields are producing.”

He said there are several interactions that have specified the rules of engagement within the maritime domain and the safety zones needed to be observed and respected by the fishing community.

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“The Council wants to let you know that any deliberate attempt to go closer to the production platform offshore would lead to prosecution”, he warned.

Nana Odwiri acknowledged that “Activities of the fishing industry as well as oil and gas are important to the country, therefore, in the partial lockdown our industry was exempted, therefore let us work within the laws and rules to ensure we coexist with others within the maritime domain.”

“We cannot continue to fight over these, it’s important we respect the rules and know that the FPSOs are still producing hence the need to respect the rules. I have given directives that anybody engage in such acts be reported to the Council”, he said.