The Fisheries Commission, together with key partners, held a stakeholder engagement meeting to address low compliance with licensing requirements among inshore fishing vessel operators.
In his address, the Executive Director of the Commission, Professor Benjamin Campion, reiterated the Commission’s efforts to ensure all semi-industrial (inshore) fishing vessels operating in Ghana’s waters are properly licensed as required under the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625).
He emphasized that licensing is not just a legal requirement; it is a vital tool for managing fishing effort, protecting our fish stocks, and safeguarding livelihoods for future generations.
Unfortunately, many vessels continue to operate without valid licenses. This undermines collective efforts to manage marine resources sustainably, leading to loss of state revenue, and creates unfair competition for compliant fishers, the ED lamented.
To address this, the Executive Director informed the meeting that the Commission is working closely with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Ghana Inshore Fishers Association, the Marine Police, the Navy, traditional authorities, and civil society partners to:
- Identify and document unlicensed vessels
- Engage fishing communities on the importance of compliance
iii. Strengthen enforcement operations at sea and landing sites
- Promote policy solutions that make licensing more transparent and efficient
The inshore operators present raised a few challenges facing the subsector and were encouraged to submit a position paper to the Commission for consideration.
In his closing remarks, Professor Campion thanked the inshore operators for honoring the invitation and urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure every vessel is licensed, every fisher is informed, and our marine resources are protected for the next generation.
The meeting was held on 23rd July 2025 at the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture conference room
