Tema Fishermen in a standoff with Navy Officers

Canoe fishermen operating at the Tema Canoe Beach on Thursday morning engaged in a standoff with Naval officers for arresting 15 fishermen going to sea with generators.

The standoff, which could have generated into a bloody incident, was brought under control with the intervention of Mr Isaac Ashai Odometer, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, and Mr Titus Glover, Member of Parliament for Tema East.

Lieutenant Dela Dornyo, Public Relations Officer of One Garrison (Ghana Armed Forces) told the media that at about 0700 hours, Thursday morning, the Ghana Navy Ship 'Chemle' was returning from routine patrols when personnel spotted three canoes heading to sea and signalled them to stop for regular checks.

The officers became suspicious when the fishermen ignored the signal and rather sped off .

The PRO said the officers chased the fishermen and caught up with the canoes, and when it was searched they discovered some generator sets meant for alleged illegal light fishing..

Two officers got into the canoes to escort the arrested 15 fishermen on board, to shore.

The fishermen, the PRO said, surprised the ratings by assaulting them and throwing one of them into the sea.

He was however rescued by the other officers after he had swam a distance.

Information of the incident and the arrest reached the Eastern Naval Base and the Canoe Beach

respectively leading to the misunderstanding between them.

All efforts to get the two chief fishermen at the canoe beach to comment on the incident proved futile.