“Fish For Sex”: Jomoro Girls Barter Sex For Fish To Fend For Themselves

• Teenage girls in Half Assini have to perform sexual favours for fish to feed themselves and their families
• This is largely due to poverty and parental neglect
• It has led to teenage pregnancies and single parenthood being commonplace in the community

In the coastal community of Half Assini in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, teenage girls are in the peculiar situation of offering sexual favours for fish.

The girls, coming from poor backgrounds and neglected by their families, are often taken advantage of by fishermen in the community who demand sex in return for fish after the day’s catch.

The phenomenon has become so commonplace in the community that it is known locally as “Fish for sex”.

As a result, teenage pregnancies and single parenthood have become common in the community, and many girls have had to truncate their education after being impregnated.

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Authorities are not addressing the problem

In an interview with JoyNews’ Nii Blewu, Deputy Manager for the Jomoro Fisheries Commission, Irene Obeng, said the canker has festered because local authorities have done nothing to address the situation.

“The girls are young so the fishermen take advantage of the situation and have sex with them. Fish for sex is very common here,” she said.

She called for some intervention to save the girls from the barter trade.

Meanwhile, a fisherman, Semenyo Maxwell said due to the low supply of fish catch and the high demand from fishmongers, fishermen are often placed in advantageous positions to make these sexual demands from desperate girls.

Married women have not been spared in this barter trade, as some have had to offer sex for fish to feed their families.

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Poverty in Ghana

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a World Bank report had stated that about 850,000 Ghanaians were pushed into poverty because of high inflation in 2022.

The report has also stated that food insecurity was an acute problem in the country, with fears of 823,000 Ghanaians being made food-insecure by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, year-on-year inflation in Ghana rose from 14% in 2021 to 54% in 2023, the highest in over two decades.

The report further explained that Ghanaians would struggle to satisfy their food needs as food prices increase.

Source: YEN.com.gh