By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Tema, Dec. 17, GNA – Captain Georgina Jopap, a retired Female Captain and a Maritime Safety and Security Consultant, has noted that maritime security goes beyond protecting ships at sea, to critically safeguard trade, livelihoods and economic stability in the Gulf of Guinea.
Captain Jopap, at a media platform powered by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), explained that maritime security covered the protection of shipping lanes, ports, fishing ecosystems and offshore resources against threats such as piracy, armed robbery, smuggling, trafficking and terrorism.
She stated that crimes at sea increased the cost of doing business in the region through higher insurance premiums, cargo delays, and security risks to crew members, among others.
She described the Gulf of Guinea as a strategic maritime zone, rich in oil and gas resources, fisheries and accessible coastlines, making it attractive to criminal networks involved in oil theft, drug trafficking, arms smuggling and kidnapping for ransom.
Captain Jopap said the most dangerous crime in the region remained kidnapping at sea, recalling incidents involving fishing vessels where crew members were abducted for ransom.
She explained that maritime boundaries were defined by international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and not by conquest or administration as on land.
She said Ghana exercised full sovereignty within its 12 nautical mile territorial waters, limited enforcement powers in the contiguous zone, and resource rights within its 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Beyond those limits, enforcement powers were restricted, posing challenges for naval operations against criminals operating in international waters, she said.
Captain Jopap insisted that women had a critical role to play in maritime security, particularly in intelligence, coordination, research, policy development and community engagement.
She rejected the notion that maritime careers required constant presence at sea, noting that many specialised roles did not involve sailing.
She called for deliberate national policies to identify, train and mentor women from secondary school levels through internships, scholarships and specialised maritime security training within institutions such as the Navy, Customs and Police.
She said women excelled in communication, coordination and professional diligence, which were qualities essential to modern maritime security operations.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo