Ghana is losing more than US$200 million annually to Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and other maritime crimes, including piracy and drug trafficking, according to the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Livinus Bessing.
He warned that the country’s maritime sector—critical to trade, food security, and economic growth—is under severe threat due to inadequate resourcing of the Ghana Navy, which limits its capacity to effectively police the nation’s territorial waters.
Rear Admiral Bessing made the disclosure at the opening of a three-day training workshop on maritime security, safety, and the blue economy in Accra, organized by the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute (GoGMI) and the EU-Enhanced Maritime Action in the Gulf of Guinea (ENMAR) project, with funding from the European Union and implementation by Expertise France.
The training brought together journalists, policymakers, and security experts to discuss pressing challenges facing the Gulf of Guinea and build media capacity for responsible reporting on maritime issues.
“It’s not because we do not know how to do our work,” Rear Admiral Bessing stated. “We simply don’t have the needed tools to do our work.”
He lamented that Ghana’s Navy lacks modern patrol vessels and surveillance equipment needed to combat sophisticated maritime crimes. The situation, he said, has left much of the country’s maritime domain vulnerable to illegal activities that drain national resources.
Citing a recent incident, he revealed that a French Navy vessel intercepted more than ten tonnes of narcotics in Ghanaian waters—an operation that the Ghana Navy could not have undertaken due to logistical challenges.
Rear Admiral Bessing also expressed frustration over the government’s prolonged delay in procuring two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), a flagship naval project initiated in 2010 but yet to materialize.
“This project has gone through several governments, but we have yet to get it. The platforms cost less than US$200 million,” he said. “From 2010 till now, US$200 million multiplied by 15 years could have bought us several of the platforms. This is the sort of advocacy I want to challenge the media to take up.”
He urged journalists to leverage their platforms to expose the hidden dangers at sea, advocate for increased investment in maritime security, and promote public awareness about Ghana’s “sea blindness”—the general lack of understanding of maritime issues among the public and policymakers.
“Security issues on land are easily covered because they can be seen,” he explained. “But what happens at sea normally goes unnoticed. That is why we need the media to play an advocacy role so governments can appreciate the need to provide resources for the Navy.”
Emmanuelle Lécuyer of the ENMAR Project underscored the Gulf of Guinea’s strategic importance, noting that over 80 percent of global trade passes through its waters. However, she warned that persistent challenges such as illegal fishing, piracy, and drug smuggling continue to threaten regional stability.
“Constructive and factual reporting can help bridge the gap between maritime realities and public understanding, and drive accountability,” she added.
Air Vice Marshal Frank Hanson echoed similar concerns, highlighting the role of journalists in combating “sea blindness” and shaping public policy through informed reporting.
President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert K. Dwumfour, who delivered the keynote address, called on the media to integrate maritime reporting into mainstream national development coverage.
“Too often, maritime issues are treated as matters for specialists and remain hidden from the public eye,” he said. “However, when journalists make these issues visible and explain the human cost of illegal fishing, the risks of piracy, or the promise of a thriving blue economy, they drive accountability and better governance.”
He encouraged journalists to see the maritime story as not just a security concern but a human development and economic story, stressing that inclusive and diverse reporting can enrich public discourse and strengthen democracy.
“The ocean’s future must not be narrated by a few,” Mr. Dwumfour concluded.
The three-day training aims to empower journalists with the tools to report accurately on maritime security, uncover illegal activities at sea, and promote advocacy for a well-resourced Ghana Navy capable of protecting the country’s maritime assets and advancing the blue economy.
By Samuel Asamoah
