Traditional Authorities from the Western Nzema and Upper Axim area raised the issue during an engagement session with Tullow Ghana Limited.

The two-week long stakeholder engagement sessions for Traditional Authorities in the Western Region kicked off last Thursday and is organised by Tullow Ghana Limited (TGL). Paramount Chief of Western Nzema Awulae Annor Adjaye III and his counterpart from Eastern Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli challenged the Jubilee and TEN Partners to increase their support to fishing communities insisting they bear the brunt of their operations.

Tullow has been working with the Canoe Council and the Fishermen’s groups to reduce the levels of incursions into the exclusion zone. The designated area around the Jubilee and TEN FPSOs deemed dangerous and necessary to prevent the fishermen from operating to prevent loss of lives and property.

The purpose of the sessions is to provide business and operational update on the Jubilee and TEN fields. The sessions were also used to report on environmental monitoring and compliance, canoe incursions and the implementation of voluntary principles on human rights and security offshore. Present at the meeting were government and regulatory authorities such as the Fisheries Commission, the Petroleum Commission and the Ghana Canoe and Fishermen Council.

A total of 140 participants were present at the first session from 7 Traditional Areas. The second session this week involves the chiefs of Sekondi, Shama, Ahanta, Upper Dixcove, Lower Dixcove and Essikado traditional areas from 9th -11th October is expected to attract over 120 participants.