The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hon. Emelia Arthur, has disclosed that the government has engaged the European Union (EU) through the Ghana-European Union dialogue, to address the concerns raised by the union.

In 2021, Ghana was issued a yellow card by the European Union after being identified as a non-compliant third country in the fight against illegal fishing activities.

According to the minister, the recent engagement included the implementation of an action plan, periodic update reports, and validation exercises.

“We are happy to report that Ghana has made significant progress in resolving key concerns, primarily related to lapses in the regulatory framework, fisheries enforcement, and traceability," she stated when she appeared before the House on Tuesday, July 1.

The minister made this statement in response to a question posed by Member of Parliament for Atwima Mponua, Hon. Seth Osei-Akoto, regarding the immediate measures the ministry is implementing to sanitize Ghana’s fishing sector in light of the European Union's warning that Ghana could face a potential red card.

Also, Hon. Emelia Arthur emphasized that a review of pending actions indicates that the enactment of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Bill, along with its accompanying regulations, remains critical to enhancing fisheries governance in Ghana.

She further informed the House that the Ministry has already submitted the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Bill, 2025, to the House.

The bill was later referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Cocoa Affairs for consideration.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development continues to take pragmatic measures to protect and safeguard the health of the general public.

The Fisheries Ministry in April this year imposed a 12-month suspension on the fishing licences of four industrial trawl vessels for violating Ghana’s fisheries laws.

The affected vessels—Meng Xin 10 (owned by Nassa Co. Ltd.), Florence 2 (owned by Akrafi Fisheries), and Long Xiang 607 and Long Xiang 608 (owned by Wannimas Complex Co. Ltd.)—were found guilty of repeated infractions that threaten the sustainability of Ghana’s marine resources.

The vessels engaged in various illegal activities, including unauthorized transshipment, dumping of fish, operating in restricted areas, and harvesting juvenile fish.

These actions not only breach Ghana’s Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625) and Fisheries Regulations, 2010 (L.I. 1968) but also endanger the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities and undermine marine conservation efforts.

Credit - Additional information from Parliament of Ghana