Ghana foils pirate attack on fishing boat

Ghana’s navy has foiled an attack on a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, a statement from the armed forces said.

It took place about 170km (105 miles) from the Ghanaian coast where pirates in two speedboats attempted to board a tuna fishing boat.

The navy patrol successfully intervened and there were no casualties, the authorities said.

In the statement, the armed forces also said that the navy had decided to deploy armed personnel on fishing vessels that operate off its coast in an effort to curb piracy.

The idea is aimed at “ensuring a safe and secure maritime environment for the smooth operations of fishing and commercial vessels”, it said.

The navy has also recently doubled its patrols to deal with a growing number of pirate attacks.