The Ghana Tuna Association (GTA), and the Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association, both representing the Joint Industrial Fisheries Sector (JIFS) in Ghana have made a clarion call to the presidency and Parliament of Ghana to take steps to address their concerns regarding the adverse impact of the new Fisheries Bill on their businesses and the state if implemented in its current state.
According to them the Bill jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission and passed by Parliament which is awaiting presidential assent could expose offshore personnel and Ghanaian vessels to criminal bandits and terrorist attacks in high seas and further strangulate the fisheries sector leading to its imminent collapse and thus called on the President John Dramani Mahama and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin to reconsider the passage of the new Fisheries Bill.
According to them, a specific provision in the bill threatens to inflict irreparable harm on the industrial fisheries sector—an outcome they warn will not only cripple their operations but also negatively impact national food security, job creation, and the growth of Ghana’s blue economy.
In the petition dated July 11, 2025, signed by Frank K. Aihoon, President of GTA, Stephen Adjokatcher Ag. President of GITA and Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio, Vice President- NAFAG, addressed to President John Dramani Mahama and Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, GTA and GITA called for urgent government intervention and urged that the President withhold assent until their concerns are addressed.
At the heart of their petition is a controversial clause that seeks to extend Ghana’s Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) from 6 to 12 nautical miles. According to them, this extension would bar their vessels from accessing areas critical to their operations, despite decades of lawful activity within those waters.
“Our vessels are Ghanaian-flagged, meaning they are artificial citizens of Ghana,” the Association emphasised. “By legislating us out of the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea, it’s as if we are being ostracised from our own country.”
The group further stated that Ghana’s current IEZ—defined as either the 30-meter depth contour or 6 nautical miles, whichever is further—is already one of the most restrictive in the West African region. In contrast, countries like Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Liberia maintain IEZs of only 5 to 6 nautical miles.
Stakeholder Consensus Ignored
The GTA pointed out that during the last parliamentary stakeholder consultation, there was agreement on three key issues:
1. The current IEZ provision (6 nautical miles or 30-meter depth contour) is problematic;
2. The IEZ should be fixed at 6 nautical miles only;
3. Any future expansion should be supported by new scientific studies.
They challenged the rationale that illegal fishing activities by some trawl vessels justify such a legislative change, warning that anecdotal or enforcement issues should not be used as a scientific basis to penalise the entire industrial sector.
“All our vessels—tuna and trawl—are equipped with Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) that track movement and activity in real time,” the Association stated. “The Ghana Maritime Authority and Ghana Navy both have 24-hour surveillance, and we also maintain 100% human observer coverage on board.”
Call for Scientific Justification
The group emphasised that unless there is transparent, independently verified bathymetric and ecological data, any extension of the IEZ to 12 nautical miles would lack scientific legitimacy and could cause irreversible harm to the sector.
They warned that the proposed expansion risks undermining Ghana’s commitment to sustainable fisheries management, international investment, and coastal livelihoods, particularly in a time when collaboration and transparency are essential to address climate change and ocean degradation.
The industrial fisheries sector now awaits the President’s next steps, hopeful that their petition will prompt a reconsideration of the bill in the national interest.
This is the full text of their petitions to President John Mahama and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin;
Dear Rt. Hon. Speaker,
Joint Petition by the Ghana Tuna Association and the Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association
SUBJECT: LEGISLATING 12 NAUTICAL MILES AS THE INSHORE EXCLUSIVE ZONE (IEZ)
The Ghana Tuna Association is the representative body of all Tuna Companies in Ghana, including the canneries whiles the Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association represents the fishing trawl companies.
It is worthy of note that all our companies are Ghanaian companies either as joint venture or wholly owned.
It has come to our attention and same has been widely published that the Fisheries Bill before the August House has a provision to extend the Inshore Exclusive Zone to 12 nautical miles.
Rt. Hon. Speaker, if the bill is passed in its current form, our businesses will suffer irreparable damage as a consequence of that provision.
1. We are flagged vessels flagged to Ghana as our coastal state and also our port state. It means our vessels are citizens living in Ghana as artificial persons.
2. The 12 nautical miles under the Laws of the Sea Convention is the territorial sea of Ghana. Therefore, legislating our vessels out of the territorial sea is by extension, suggesting that we have been ostracised from our own country by law.
3. All coastal countries in the West African sub-region—such as Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Liberia—maintain an Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) of approximately 5 to 6 nautical miles, strictly reserved for artisanal fisheries.
Ghana’s current IEZ is defined as either the 30-meter depth contour or 6 nautical miles, which is already one of the most ecologically guided and generous artisanal zones in the region
4. We participated in the last consultative meeting with Parliament at what meeting the following conclusions were arrived at on the subject matter in question:
a. The IEZ which in the current law provides for either 6 nautical miles or 30-meter contour depth, whichever is further is problematic.
b. To solve that challenge, the IEZ should only be read as 6 nautical miles
c. There will be a need for further scientific study to determine whether or not there will be a need for an extension of the IEZ.
Mr Speaker, the explanation that trawl vessels particularly fish illegally in the IEZ and thus constitute the basis for the extension of the IEZ to 12 nautical miles should not be basis in science for a scientific action because it is not the entire truth.
a. All industrial vessels, trawl and tuna are hooked to a vessel monitoring system, VMS which provides detailed information on vessel movements by the second. It determines the speed knot which allows the unit to determine whether or not a vessel is fishing or only steaming in the IEZ.
b. The vessels are also observed by the Vessels Tracking and Monitoring devices installed at Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and the Ghana Navy Headquarters both of which have 24hr observatory on all vessel activities within Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Therefore, Rt. Hon. Speaker, it is worrying that with all the investments in equipment and manpower to monitor vessels and a 100% human observer coverage on all vessels we still raise issues of vessels fishing in the IEZ.
Fishing in the IEZ is an offence and punishable by law, the Fisheries Ministry, the Fisheries Commission, the Ghana Maritime Authority and the Ghana Navy all have equipment and men to monitor vessels activities and it will only be fair if data of the offences are produced.
In conclusion, Rt. Hon. Speaker, any proposal to further increase this zone must be supported by comprehensive and independently verified bathymetric data—mapping the seabed topography—to ensure ecological justification and navigational feasibility. To date, no scientific evidence or bathymetric analysis has been presented to justify extending the IEZ.
Moreover, no economic impact assessment has been conducted to determine the viability of such a change on the industrial fleet’s operations, including crew livelihoods, company investments, and national fish supply.
Ghana’s industrial trawl fleet, mostly operating under a 300 Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) national cap, has not been assessed for its capacity to operate safely and economically beyond the current limit. The 300 GRT threshold is a domestically imposed limit, not a requirement under international maritime law.
The Ministry has also only recently introduced a new gear policy under a ministerial directive which effectively reduces the trawl gear dimensions and resilience. We are yet to fully assess the impact on the policy on the gear, particularly in the high seas.
Therefore, any attempt to shift the IEZ boundaries must involve broad-based consultation with affected stakeholders, underpinned by scientific, economic, and technical evaluations. Without this, the policy risks becoming unbalanced,
regionally inconsistent, and harmful to Ghana’s own fishing economy.
We are by this letter seeking your kind indulgence in this matter.
Thank you
