Environmental Justice Foundation Calls for Transparency in the Fisheries Sector
By:Maame Efua Kwaduah
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), a civil society organisation focused on environmental and fisheries governance, has called on the government to fully adopt the principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, particularly regarding vessel information in Ghana’s marine space.
EJF emphasised that authorities, including the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD), should publish a register of fishing vessels on the ministry’s website and submit this data for inclusion in the FAO Global Record of Fishing Vessels.
The organisation also stressed the need for fisheries-related infringement and sanction data to be updated and published publicly at least annually, detailing the date of infraction, vessel name, IMO number, owner, nature of offence, settlement process and sanction applied.
EJF added that beneficial ownership information disclosed at registration, including licensing and authorisation details, should be accessible to the public in a free and user-friendly format.
The organisation urged that vessels controlled by foreign entities should not be registered under the Ghanaian flag, but operate under transparent access agreements aligned with the Charter’s principles.
In its recent Ghana Transparency Gap Analysis Report: Evaluating Transparency in Ghana’s Fisheries Sector, released on January 19, 2026, EJF noted that while the country has partially implemented many of these principles, key gaps remain.
The newly adopted Fisheries and Aquaculture Act provides a legal basis for the routine publication of licences, details of out-of-court settlements for fisheries offences and mandatory Automatic Identification System (AIS) requirements. However, gaps remain, particularly concerning public access to vessel beneficial ownership data.
EJF further stated that existing Fisheries Regulations must be updated to address gaps in the Act, clarify unresolved issues including fish product traceability and ensure consistent application of the law. The organisation also cautioned against weakening existing regulations, such as the ban on transhipment.
Swift and robust implementation of the Act is critical to achieving greater transparency, the organisation said.
Ghana has shown political will to strengthen transparency and accountability in its marine fisheries sector.
At the 2025 Our Oceans Conference, MoFAD endorsed the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, committing to beneficial ownership transparency at the United Nations Ocean Conference in June last year.
These efforts have already yielded results, including the suspension of four industrial trawlers’ licences. Yet, EJF insists that further action is required to implement all ten principles of the Charter fully.
The fisheries sector in Ghana supports livelihoods for about 10% of the population, providing direct employment to over three million people across the value chain, including fishmongers and processors.
Illegal fishing and overfishing, however, threaten to collapse fish stocks, undermining the basic human rights of coastal communities and costing the country millions annually.
EJF maintains that enhanced transparency is essential for sustainable, legal and ethical fisheries in Ghana.
“This briefing has analysed the level of transparency in Ghana’s fisheries sector, benchmarked against the ten principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency. It found that Ghana has partially implemented most of the principles, while falling short on key aspects. The recently adopted Fisheries and Aquaculture Act has set out the legal basis and requirements for the routine publication of key information, including lists of licences and details of out-of-court settlements reached for fisheries offences, as well as provisions for mandatory AIS,” part of the statement read.
