By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, Oct. 13, GNA – The Fisheries Community and Fishing Association of Ghana has called on the Government to revoke 10 offshore gold reconnaissance licences covering about 10,000 square kilometres of Ghana’s marine waters, warning that the proposed activities could threaten fish stocks, food security and coastal livelihoods.
Mr John Kenneth Arthur, General Secretary of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG), made the call at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday.
The association welcomed the government’s suspension of offshore gold exploration activities by Gold Coast GRC Ghana Ltd. but insisted that the licences should be permanently revoked to protect marine ecosystems and fishing grounds.
Speaking on behalf of artisanal fishing communities, including canoe owners, chief fishermen, fishing crews, fish processors and traders, Mr Arthur expressed concern over the lack of adequate consultation with communities that could be directly affected by the proposed activities.
He said concerns raised by the Fisheries Commission, scientists and civil society organisations about the potential environmental and socioeconomic consequences of offshore gold exploration and exploitation required urgent government attention.
“We, therefore, call on His Excellency the President and the Government of Ghana to go beyond suspending these activities and take the necessary steps to revoke the licences and abandon plans for offshore gold exploration and exploitation in Ghana’s coastal waters,” he said.
Mr Arthur described the ocean as a living ecosystem that sustained fishing families, fish processors, traders and coastal communities, warning that damage to marine habitats, disruption of fish populations and restrictions on access to fishing grounds could undermine livelihoods built over generations.
“Our ocean is not a liquid desert waiting to be exploited,” he said, stressing the need to protect Ghana’s marine resources for present and future generations.
The association also raised concerns about the potential implications of offshore mineral exploration for the Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ), whose extension from six to 12 nautical miles under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146), it described as a major achievement for small-scale fisheries.
It questioned the value of expanding the protected zone if activities capable of damaging marine habitats, threatening fish stocks or displacing artisanal fishers were permitted in the same waters.
The association further called for transparency regarding the relationship between the licensed areas and the Greater Cape Three Points Marine Protected Area, urging the authorities to establish whether there was any overlap and assess the potential environmental implications.
It warned that threats to the ecologically important area could undermine conservation efforts and the long-term sustainability of local fisheries.
Mr Arthur acknowledged Ghana’s need for investment, jobs and public revenue but maintained that economic development should not come at the expense of the ocean and the millions of people who depended on it.
He said the potential effects of offshore gold exploration and exploitation extended beyond fishing communities to women engaged in fish processing and trading, consumers who depended on affordable fish, and businesses supporting coastal economies.
According to the Association, promised mining jobs, financial compensation and short-term economic benefits could not replace healthy marine ecosystems, sustainable fish stocks or the economic contributions of thriving fishing communities.
It cautioned that compensation might not restore marine ecosystems once they had suffered irreversible damage.
“A healthy ocean is a long-term investment in Ghana’s food security, employment, coastal resilience and future prosperity. It must not be sacrificed for short-term gains from offshore gold exploration and exploitation,” the statement said.
The association urged the government to align decisions on offshore mineral activities with Ghana’s international environmental commitments, including Sustainable Development Goal 14, which promotes the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources.
It also cited the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 3, which calls for the conservation of at least 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030.
CaFGOAG called for meaningful consultation with artisanal fishing communities and urged the government to revoke the licences granted to Gold Coast GRC Ghana Ltd., protect the IEZ from harmful seabed mineral exploration and extraction, and safeguard sensitive marine ecosystems.
Although it acknowledged the President’s decision to suspend the activities, the association said suspension alone could not provide the lasting certainty fishing communities needed.
It urged the government to prioritise sustainable fisheries, food security and the protection of marine resources for future generations.
“Our ocean is our life. Our fishing grounds are our future. Our children deserve a living ocean, not a liquid desert,” Mr Arthur said.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
13 Oct. 2026
Reporter: Samira Larbie
Email: [email protected]