Ghana has intensified efforts to tackle illegal fishing, strengthen fisheries governance and protect the country’s marine resources as it works to secure the future of its ocean economy.
The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur, led a Ghanaian delegation to high-level talks with officials of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) in Rome on Wednesday, September 9.
The meeting formed part of the ongoing dialogue between Ghana and the European Union on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and focused largely on Ghana’s efforts to address the concerns behind the EU’s 2021 yellow card warning.
Discussions centred on the progress Ghana has made towards resolving the issues that led to the warning and the concrete measures required to restore full compliance and secure the lifting of the yellow card status.
The talks also placed renewed emphasis on strengthening monitoring, control and enforcement across Ghana’s waters to clamp down on illegal fishing activities.
Another key area was fisheries governance, with both sides examining measures to raise Ghana’s compliance standards to international levels and update the country’s legal and regulatory framework.
For Ghana, the stakes extend beyond enforcement. The protection of the country’s marine resources is closely tied to the livelihoods of coastal communities, the sustainability of fish stocks and the future of the fisheries sector, including access to important seafood export markets.
The engagement with the European Commission therefore forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to build a sustainable blue economy while working with international partners to safeguard its waters and marine resources for future generations.
