Ghana’s fisheries sector stands on the brink of catastrophic economic consequences as Parliament warns of a potential total EU export ban by 2026 unless urgent reforms are implemented.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Aquaculture and Cocoa Affairs revealed the nation has exhausted two yellow card warnings from the European Union (2013 and 2021) for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, with a third violation triggering an irreversible red card sanction.
At a critical stakeholders’ meeting in Accra, Fisheries Minister Emelia Arthur emphasized the devastating potential impact, noting that three million livelihoods depend on the fishing value chain.
The emergency-laid Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, currently before Parliament with 167 clauses, seeks to overhaul regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms. “We’re not just fighting for exports, but for the survival of coastal communities,” Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Committee Chairman, stated during deliberations that exposed systemic governance failures, including inadequate penalties for foreign vessels violating territorial waters.
Ghana’s crisis mirrors Senegal’s 2014 EU ban that cost €200 million annually before reforms were implemented. With West Africa losing $2.3 billion yearly to IUU fishing (FAO 2024 data), Ghana’s legislative urgency reflects a regional pattern where weak enforcement collides with global sustainability demands.
The bill’s success hinges on addressing both artisanal overfishing and industrial-scale violations that have depleted fish stocks by 60% since 2000.
