In Guinea, a hundred fishermen have been treated by the hospital, because of a mysterious skin disease causing cases of rashes, burns of the second and third degree. They would have been in contact, on the high seas, with a corrosive substance which has not yet been identified, said a government spokesman.
With our correspondent in Conakry, Matthias Raynal
The majority of the victims are artisanal fishermen who are today forced to reduce their activity. RFI went to meet them, at the port of Bonfi, in Conakry.
The port is idling right now. Many canoes remain at the quay. ” You have how many fishermen who are affected by this disease? asks a fisherman.
” Three people ! These three people came back, you saw, they didn’t fish, they couldn’t work, because of illness. That’s a loss of millions [de francs guinéens] “, says Bangaly Kourouma, secretary general in the office of the head of the port of Bonfi.
A sea trip can cost up to 7 million Guinean francs for a 22-meter canoe, or around 750 euros. Many ships return to port with too little cargo to cover these costs.
” We, it’s not going well, it’s not going well… Where there are fish, the fishermen don’t go there because it’s very dangerous. Currently they are working on the Sierra Leone side “says Harouna Sene, shipowner.
The corrosive substance spread in a very rich area, offshore, northwest of Conakry.
In a few days, the prices of certain fish have exploded: “Artisanal fishing is what feeds Guinea. Guineans eat fish from artisanal fishing. The state must help fishermen, especially financially. People have lost millions and millions. Fishermen live in survival. What you work is what you eat “, adds, for his part, Bangaly Kourouma.
The fishing sector is now demanding a gesture from the State to compensate for its losses.
► To read also: In Conakry, a hundred fishermen treated for burns whose cause remains to be determined