Seven Ghanaian Seamen and Two Greeks Vanish At See

Tema A fishing vessel carrying a crew of seven Ghanaians and two Greeks is reported missing in mysterious circumstances around southern Africa since April Six, this year. The vessel, "Canopus One", a shrimper, was last heard of around Durban, South Africa on April Six and she was expected to reach Madagascar, her destination, within three days. The vessel is owned by the London based Altar Pacific Trading Incorporated with Phoenix Atlantic Fishing Company (PAFCO) Limited as operators and Bulk Shipping as her Ghanaian agents. When GNA contacted Mr Martin Twumasi, Deputy Director of Bulk Shipping, he declined to give the crew list but sources at the Tema Fishing Harbour named the Ghanaians as Mr John Ocloo, chief officer and Mr Thomas Afram, freezer bosun. The rest are Mr Paul Mensah, the bosun, Mr Kwame Fosu, the cook, Mr Daniel Obu, quarter master, Mr Alfred Kabutey and Mr John Afful, ordinary fishermen. The Greeks are Mr Paraskebas Baeinios, the Captain, and Mr Loannis Lagou Dakis, chief engineer.

Mr Twumasi who later confirmed the names told the GNA that the "Canopus One" left the shores of Ghana on March 18 to join her sister vessel "Altair one" in Madagascar where the owners have fishing rights to fish for shrimps. "We communicate by radio messages twice a day but we have not heard of them since April seven and we do not know what is happening", he said. Mr Twumasi said Bulk shipping communicated with its principals in London who contacted South African and Mozambican authorities and also informed the harbour master at the Tema port. South African and Mozambican authorities combed the entire area with helicopters but said they did not rpt not see any sign of the vessel neither was there any sign of a sunken vessel making it difficult to tell whether the "Canopus one" has sunk in the area. Mr Twumasi said when a vessel sinks, items like rafters, life boats, drums, pans and fishing nets are expected to float but the search found nothing of the sort, leaving the company in a dilemma. Asked about the competence of the captain, Mr Twumasi said Capt. Baeinipos was sailing the "Canopus One" for the first time but he has worked on other vessels as a captain in Madagascar for three years.