Billed as a landmark moment for the country, Ghana’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Emelia Arthur has been instrumental in enacting new legislation that ring-fences the Inshore Exclusive Zone out to twelve miles, and the new law has now been passed by President John Dramani Mahama.
There has been a long history of offshore vessels encroaching on waters reserved for small-scale fisheries, believed to threaten the pelagic stocks that are central to local food supplies. The European Union issued a yellow card in 2021, warning that Ghana could lose access to European markets for seafood unless action was taken against IUU fishing, claimed to cost- Ghana alone between $14.4 million and $23.7 million annually.
Ghana’s seafood exports have expanded to become worth more than $425 million annually, making this one of Ghana’s fastest-growing non-traditional exports.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill introduces critical reforms, including the long-awaited expansion of Ghana’s Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) from 6 to 12 nautical miles.
This new law also represents a significant step toward lifting the European Union’s yellow card trade warning against Ghana, according to EJF.
‘By enshrining stronger measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and enhancing fisheries transparency, the Bill gives regulators and enforcement agencies the tools they need to act decisively against law-breaking vessels. With these new powers, Ghana can demonstrate to international partners that it is serious about reforming fisheries management and protecting the nation’s marine resources,’ an EJF representative stated, commenting thatt the passage of the Bill comes at a critical time as more than 90% of artisanal fishers report declining catches, while populations of small pelagic species such as sardinella have almost entirely collapsed in a matter of years.
EJF stresses that the focus must now shift to swift and complete implementation.
‘Laws alone cannot deliver change without consistent and robust enforcement. With effective monitoring, transparent governance, and strong penalties for illegal operators, the Bill can deliver on its promise of rebuilding Ghana’s fisheries and protecting ocean ecosystems for generations to come,’ EJF’s spokesperson said
