The rescue of seven fishermen who spent 12 days adrift at sea after their canoe suffered engine failure has renewed calls for the use of technology to improve safety in Ghana’s fishing industry.

The fishermen went missing on October 9, 2026, while travelling from Sekondi to Axim in the Western Region aboard their fishing canoe, Second Chance.

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After the canoe’s outboard motor failed, they reportedly drifted with the wind and sea currents into the waters of neighbouring countries and were eventually found in Beninese waters following a multinational search-and-rescue operation.

Reacting to the issue, Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue, the 2024 parliamentary candidate for Essikado-Ketan, has urged fishermen to adopt SOS alert systems linked to satellite communications to help rescuers locate them faster when they encounter difficulties at sea.

Bissue said satellite-based SOS systems could help prevent similar incidents from turning into prolonged search operations.

“These tools can send a distress signal with the exact location of a canoe, even far from shore and beyond mobile network coverage,” he said.

According to him, SOS alert systems will allow users to send a distress signal when they are in danger and need urgent assistance. When integrated with satellite communications, these systems can transmit a location even in areas where mobile phone networks are unavailable.

For fishermen who travel far from shore, this can help rescuers identify where a canoe is in trouble instead of relying only on reports of its last known location or searching large areas of water.

Bissue said the technology could reduce the time needed to locate fishermen who encounter problems at sea.

He also stressed that SOS systems should be used alongside other safety measures, rather than as a replacement for them.

“They complement life jackets, radios, backup engines and good seamanship, and they can reduce the time it takes to find and rescue crews in trouble,” he indicated.

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Bissue commended the Ghana Maritime Authority, the Marine Police, the Ghana Navy, the Fisheries Commission and other security agencies for coordinating the rescue.

“This outcome shows what can be achieved when institutions and communities work together,” he added.

MAG/VPO

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