By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
Tema, Oct. 06, GNA — The National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG) has reiterated the call for the suspension of an offshore gold reconnaissance license granted to Gold Coast GRC Ghana Limited, citing concerns over its potential impact on Ghana’s fisheries resources and livelihoods.
The association, in a letter to President John Dramani Mahama dated October 6, 2026, sighted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said it opposed the grant of the offshore reconnaissance license for gold exploration in Ghana’s shallow continental shelf until further consultations were held with fishers and a Fisheries Impact Assessment was conducted in accordance with the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2005 (Act 1146).
The NAFAG said the license reportedly covered approximately 10,000 square kilometres, extending about 300 kilometres of Ghana’s coastline between Half Assini and Winneba and reaching about 33 kilometres offshore.
It said its concerns centered on the area covered by the licence, the lack of high-level consultation with fishers before its grant, the absence of a fisheries impact assessment, lessons from seabed mining in other jurisdictions and the scientific implications of seabed mining on fisheries resources.
The association said it represented five fisheries sub-sector associations, namely the Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association, Ghana Tuna Association, Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, National Inland Canoe Fishermen Council and Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association.
According to the NAFAG, the license area was particularly concerning at a time when Ghana was adopting conservation measures for small-scale fisheries and had recently launched its first Marine Protected Areas.
It said the scale of the offshore reconnaissance operation could negatively affect efforts to halt the decline of fish stocks.
The NAFAG said it was aware of a stakeholder consultation held at the Accra City Hotel on July 9, 2026, but said the report of the consultation had not been received and could therefore not have informed its inputs.
It questioned why the competent authorities had not engaged the association, describing it as a key stakeholder in the venture.
The association further alleged that the Fisheries Environmental Impact Assessment provided for by law had been ignored.
It cited Section 50(1) of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2005 (Act 1146), which, it said, required a person planning an activity other than fishing that was likely to have a substantial impact on fishery or aquatic resources to inform the Fisheries Commission of the plans before commencement.
The NAFAG alleged that Gold Coast GRC Ghana Limited had not informed the Fisheries Commission as required, despite the licence being for gold exploration in Ghana’s shallow continental shelf.
It said the situation was unacceptable because of the potential negative effects of seabed mining on the livelihoods, incomes and food security of millions of Ghanaians within the fisheries value chain.
The NAFAG also referred to experiences from other jurisdictions to support its concerns, citing the Solwara Project in Papua New Guinea, where it said preliminary testing and exploration activities reportedly resulted in significant declines in tuna, shark and artisanal fish catches, alongside concerns over heavy machinery operations, test-dredging, sediment plumes, noise pollution and toxic heavy-metal suspension.
The association also cited experiences in South Africa and New Zealand, where it said seabed mining activities had raised concerns over damage to marine habitats and fisheries.
The NAFAG said such experiences demonstrated the need for Ghana to take a precautionary approach before allowing activities that could affect marine ecosystems and fisheries resources.
It expressed concern that if gold was discovered in commercial quantities and the company proceeded to actual exploitation, the potential negative impacts could be greater.
The association said seabed dredging and suction operations could degrade nursery grounds for species and smother shellfish beds with settled silt, while altering benthic ecology and making it difficult for target fish stocks to recover.
The NAFAG, therefore, called on the government to suspend the offshore gold reconnaissance licence granted to Gold Coast GRC Ghana Limited to prevent marine habitat destruction before the company discovered gold in commercial quantities and potentially sought a seabed mining licence.
It said the exploitation activities and their possible negative impacts on fish and fishery resources could affect millions of people who depended on the sector for food security, employment, livelihoods, foreign exchange and its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product.
The association urged the president and relevant duty bearers to intervene, saying it looked forward to a positive response from the government.
The letter was signed by Nana Jojo Solomon, President of NAFAG, and endorsed by the presidents of the Ghana Tuna Association, Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association, Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association, Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council and National Inland Canoe Fishermen Council.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo