The absence of functioning transponders in the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) at the Monitoring Control and Surveillance Division of the Fisheries Commission has rendered the body ineffective to monitor economic, safety and security activities of the country’s registered industrial vessels at sea.
The vital components of the transmission system, described by insiders as the eye of the nation, and for that matter ought to be operational throughout the year, started experiencing technical challenges since November last year, and completely went off about four months ago.
The commission now relies on the collaborative effort of agencies, both at home and outside, for information with regard to piracy, illegal arms transportation, violating fishing policy directives, illicit drugs, and human trafficking at sea involving Ghanaian flagged industrial vessels.
The Chronicle’s independent investigation in the industry has disclosed that the World Bank, a few years ago, piloted a project to fit monitoring devices onto all industrial vessels.
This is to enable the Fisheries Commission to be in touch with these Ghanaian registered vessels, no matter their locations around the globe, and to ensure that they adhere to required fishing practices.
The industrial vessels are not permitted to undertake fishing expeditions in the restricted zone of six nautical miles (11 km) from the shore, and 30 metres draft, which is for the exclusivity of the local canoes.
The illegal transfer of fish at sea thereby depriving the state of needed revenue, movements of drugs, attacks on these vessels by pirates, the indulgent in human trafficking, through the use of boats, and illicit arms movement are among the mandates of the monitoring station.
With the about one hundred registered industrial vessels now hooked on the system via satellite transmission by a French service provider, the nation’s eye is focused on activities involving the fishing vessels at sea, be they economic, safety or security.
It was also revealed that each time a vessel goes off the screen at the transmission station the agent’s attention is drawn for prompt action, and possibly recalled back ashore to remedy any anomaly, including the regularisation of documents.
Now that the transponders are off, whatever happens at sea involving the Ghanaian flagged industrial vessels, be it good or bad, are unknown to the authorities, which is a worry to players in the sector.
To them, a similar thing occurred some years ago, when the fisheries had to lose a Research Vessel, RV KAKADIAMA, a Government of Japan grant to Ghana. The research vessel was providing useful information on the availability of fish stock for the policy makers, and further to the fishermen, so as not to sail and roam the vast ocean looking for suitable fishing ground and wasting fuel.
Along the line, RV KAKADIAMA had problems with only a compressor and that ended her life and functions.
In its absence, the Research Department was reported in the media then as procuring fish in the open market for analysis, a practice unacceptable for the government’s policy, let alone the European Union standard.
Industry players, who preferred anonymity for now, have raised concerns about the absence of the link between the country’s industrial vessels on fishing expeditions and the home monitoring station, especially when the satellite transmission is active.
Further investigation reveals that it would cost not more than Euros 17,000.00 (Seventeen thousand Euros) to bring back the system to function to ensure that the nation’s kitty is not looted through dubious economic activities at sea, absolute safety and security for vessels and crew.
Another instance cited was the multimillion-dollar World Bank sponsored treatment plant at Tema Community 3, which, besides purifying human waste, served as rearing ponds of giant fishes, but collapsed because the authorities failed to provide money to procure connecting cables, which valued less than GH¢10,000.
The ongoing probe uncovered that the Fisheries Commission is in agreement with a Norwegian Research Vessel, DR FRIDTJOF NANSEN, which provides research in the vacuum created by the sold and scrapped RV KAKADIAMA.
The Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission, Mr Arthur Dadzie, when contacted, stated that every effort was being made to procure the transponders to bring back the system on stream.
Mr Dadzie went on that the commission is presently in collaboration with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Ghana Navy, and others, both in Ghana and outside, for the monitoring of its vessels at sea.
The post Vessel tracker breaks down; state can’t afford €17k repairs appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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