In the coastal communities of Half Assini, Jomoro District, Western Region, teenage girls are increasingly trading sex for fish.
According to a JoyNews report, some of the fishermen in the seaside town take advantage of the girls for sex when their harvests are particularly large.
During harvest, these teenage girls, who assist with household chores, visit the beach to catch fish for their homes.
But they are now the objects of sexual exploitation, having to pay for each fish that is offered to them during a sexual encounter.
Half Assini locals refer to this as “sex for fish.” The area’s rates of teenage pregnancies and single mothers have gone up as a result of the phenomenon.
Irene Obeng, Deputy Manager of the Jomoro Fishery Commission, claimed that fishermen take advantage of young girls because of their age in an interview with JoyNews on February 12.
According to her, “fish for sex is prevalent in the community, so the fishermen take advantage of the girls’ youth and have sex with them.”
According to Maxwell, a Jomoro fisherman with over ten years of experience, “Everyone fights for the fish when it comes in, so if you are not fast you will not get some.”
“However, some individuals approach fishermen directly in search of fish, which they do not receive for free. It is a barter system, so you give me fish and I give you sex,” he continued.
As for married women pleading with fishermen for fish, Maxwell claims that they are also sexually abused.
Adwoa, a 17-year-old single mother who was the victim of sexual exploitation, disclosed that it was under these conditions that she first met her child’s father.
Adwoa claimed that when they first started dating, he brought the fish home, sold some of them to make money, and used the remainder to feed the family.
She did, however, disclose that they broke up when she discovered she was luring other girls into sexual relationships by using the tactic known as “sex for fish.”
A local teacher told JoyNews that she has witnessed several girls leave school early due to adolescent pregnancies, some of which are brought on by transnational relationships.