Ghana’s industrial fisheries sector is confronting a major disruption as the interpretation of the Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1126), has effectively grounded many vessels, experts have warned.

Mr Richster Amarh Amarfio, Vice President of the National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG), told the Ghana News Agency that Ghanaian-flagged trawl and tuna vessels are now unable to operate legally within the newly designated inshore waters. 

As a result, fleets remain idle at ports, posing significant threats to jobs and the national economy.

“By definition, Ghana’s territorial waters extend only 12 nautical miles under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Beyond this lies the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), not territorial waters,” Mr Amarfio explained.

Ghana currently operates 17 purse seiners, 20 pole-and-line tuna vessels, and 45 industrial trawlers to support the economy. 

However, under the new interpretation of Act 1126, 19 of the 20 pole-and-line tuna vessels have stopped operations, while all industrial trawl vessels remain docked at Tema port.

Mr Amarfio noted that the Act was implemented without following the required legal procedures, including gazetting the IEZ based on scientific assessments and stakeholder consultations. 

The industrial fisheries sector has submitted petitions to Parliament and the Presidency, highlighting the operational and economic risks of the unilateral designation.

“Comparable IEZs across West Africa and the lack of scientific backing for the expansion make this approach unsustainable. Without swift intervention, Ghana risks losing a critical segment of its fisheries industry,” he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency