Ghana has announced a landmark decision to prohibit bottom trawling and other industrial fishing methods across its entire 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, expanding its current six-mile exclusion zone.
Fisheries Minister Emilia Arthur unveiled the policy at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, marking a significant victory for small-scale fishers and marine conservation.
The extended Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) aims to protect coastal ecosystems while safeguarding the livelihoods of artisanal fishing communities that account for over 70% of Ghana’s seafood production. “This is a vote of confidence for our role in fisheries management,” said Nana Kweigyah of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association, while emphasizing the need for co-management strategies to combat illegal fishing.
The policy shift follows sustained advocacy by the Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition, a global network of fishing communities coordinated by conservation group Blue Ventures. Bottom trawling—a practice where weighted nets scrape seabeds—has depleted Ghana’s fish stocks by an estimated 40% since 1990, according to Fisheries Commission data.
In a parallel transparency measure, Ghana’s government has submitted legislation requiring disclosure of beneficial ownership for all industrial fishing licenses. Blue Ventures CEO Ebrima Saidy praised the moves as “bold commitments” that could inspire similar reforms across West Africa, where 6 of 10 coastal nations still permit trawling within territorial waters.
The decision comes as scientists warn that bottom trawling releases more carbon than global aviation—up to 1.5 billion metric tons annually. Ghana’s new policy aligns with growing international momentum to ban the practice, following similar measures by Indonesia, Palau, and the EU in sensitive marine areas.
