The Minister Designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur, has assured Ghanaians of swift and decisive measures to tackle the European Union’s concerns over illegal fishing, which resulted in Ghana receiving a yellow card.
During her vetting by Parliament’s appointments committee, Madam Arthur highlighted key steps, including a thorough review of the Fisheries Act, ACT 625.
She pointed out that the current law fails to adequately address inland fisheries and aquaculture, which are vital to meeting the EU’s regulatory requirements.
Madam Arthur emphasized the importance of aligning Ghana’s fisheries regulations with international best practices to restore compliance and prevent further economic consequences.
” As you rightfully said, IUU standing for illegal, unreported, and unregulated activities in fisheries have earned Ghana a yellow card. Now EU outlined a number of things that needs to be sorted out so that the yellow card will be lifted. It is my understanding that those activities have begun, one of which is to review the law on fisheries ACT 625. And apparently, a bill was even brought to the last parliament. As it is now, the bill probably has to be withdrawn and reworked in the ACT 625.
The law is quiet on inland fisheries and the aquaculture. So steps are already underway and I pledge to move very quickly on addressing the issues to make EU take off the yellow card from Ghana. Because you see the yellow card is affecting especially the industrial fishers who catch and export tuna and which brings in a lot of money nearly $400,000,000 or so to Ghana. So we have to do the right thing so that the trade will go on and the foreign exchange will come.”
Madam Arthur called for a multi-sectoral approach to the effects of illegal mining on fishing.
“This is one of the issues that will require an intersectoral approach. It would have to be with the Ministry of Fisheries, Environment, and Science and Technology, Lands and Natural Resources. It would have to be with even Ministry of Transport. It has to be an intersectoral approach, and it has to be a cabinet task team because Galamsey has destroyed the water bodies and even entered the sea. I come from the place where River Pra meets the estuary. When you see what is happening now, it’s deadly.”
And I remember His Excellency John Mahama has said, that we would like to tackle this issue head-on. I belong to a scientific body that are trying to do work in how they can take away the pollution from this river body. So I’m expecting that we will work together with all the other ministries to make this happen so that the aspect that relates to us, particularly aquaculture, will be able to do it well. “
