The artisanal fishing vessel, with registration number 994AO, carrying two fishermen, aged between 42 and 52, has been missing since March 7th off the coast of Benguela province.
The boat, named “Sachissokele”, was last seen a week ago, when the two fishermen went to sea for work from the commune of Praia do Bebé, in the municipality of Catumbela, and did not return, he revealed, to Angop, the fishing vessel from Praia do Bebé, José Domingos.
This professional states that as time passes, the local community’s distress increases.
According to him, the two fishermen were supposed to return between 10 am and 3 pm the following day, that is, on March 8th, which did not happen.
However, he explained that the case has already been reported to the Port Authority of Lobito, but they are unaware of the ongoing actions to search for the small vessel that disappeared in the northern area of the Benguela coast, near Lobito.
José Domingos, who also owns the vessel, says there is conflicting information about the whereabouts of the two fishermen.
“Just yesterday, we heard news that a trawler boat found a boat where there were two sailors,” he said, stressing that it still remains to be confirmed whether the fishermen were rescued alive by a trawler.
For him, the biggest problem is that there is no communication with them, seven days later, since the phones are switched off, which increases the fears of the Praia do Bebé community.
The fishing owner guarantees that the vessel had enough fuel to last at least two days, in case of any unforeseen event.
The case of a boat from Praia do Bebé that, after 20 days adrift, washed up on the coast of Luanda with the fishermen still alive, is synonymous with hope for José Domingos.
Relatives worried
Young César Marinho, son of one of the missing fishermen, says that, despite the bad weather on the high seas in recent days, the men are expected to be fine.
“We can’t sleep”, complains the young man, visibly saddened by the disappearance of his father, with whom he spoke minutes before leaving for the sea, as he usually did.
Despite his fears, the young man reveals that the family still believes that the two fishermen will be rescued alive.
For his part, João Manuel Guilherme, communal administrator of Praia do Bebé, admits that local authorities are closely monitoring the situation, since the missing fishermen are residents of the locality.
This is the second case involving artisanal fishing boats from Praia do Bebé, two years after a vessel disappeared and only a few fishermen were rescued alive days later.
Unrest maritime
In addition to the strong maritime unrest in the region, a source from the Port Authority of Lobito associates these incidents with the fact that small vessels constantly violate the limits of their artisanal fishing zone, exceeding four authorized miles, with the desire to capture larger quantities of fish. .
This situation has created inconvenience for the Captaincy, in the attempt to locate vessels that have disappeared on the high seas, putting the lives of fishermen at risk during the days when they are adrift on the high seas with little means of survival.