A coalition of fishing associations, coastal communities, and civil society groups in Ghana has written to President John Dramani Mahama, demanding a halt to a reported offshore gold exploration project covering 10,000 square kilometres of the country's western coast. The project, granted to GoldCoast Resource Corp. as ten contiguous Offshore Reconnaissance Licences, has sparked concerns that thousands of artisanal fishers could lose their livelihoods. The groups argue that the licensed zone is a highly productive marine environment, supporting thousands of fishers, fishing communities, and coastal businesses.
The coalition, comprising 46 organisations, including the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) and the Natural Resources Governance Institute (NRGI), has expressed concerns about the sheer size of the licensed zone and its location within a critical marine ecosystem. The groups acknowledge that a reconnaissance licence does not authorise commercial extraction but warn that the programme's activities, including geophysical surveys and seabed coring, could harm the seabed, water quality, and fisheries if not properly regulated.
The groups are calling for an immediate suspension of the project's further implementation, pending a transparent and independent review. The review should examine the licence award process, technical and economic justification, consultations with affected communities, and the adequacy of existing laws and institutions to manage the risks involved. An independent assessment of environmental, fisheries, and livelihood impacts is also proposed, covering fishing grounds, spawning and nursery zones, seabed habitats, and water quality.
The coalition proposes that a formal review body be set up, involving the Minerals Commission, the Fisheries Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and civil society groups, with all licence documents and work programmes made public. The groups argue that activities such as seismic surveys and potential dredging could disturb fishing grounds before any scientific baseline has been established to measure the damage.
For coastal communities along Ghana's western seaboard, the dispute centres on access to fishing grounds that many families depend on for income and food. The groups warn that the offshore gold exploration project could have devastating effects on the marine ecosystem and the livelihoods of thousands of people. The coalition has requested an urgent meeting with government officials to discuss its concerns directly.
A reconnaissance licence permits a company to explore and gather geological data about an area without granting rights to extract minerals commercially. However, the groups are concerned that the programme's activities could cause harm before any scientific baseline has been established. The source material does not indicate that the government, GoldCoast Resource Corp., or the Minerals Commission have yet issued a public response to the letter.
The coalition's demands highlight the need for careful consideration of the potential impacts of large-scale mining projects on local communities and the environment. The groups' concerns about the offshore gold exploration project have sparked a necessary debate about the balance between economic development and environmental protection in Ghana.
Key points
- The coalition demands a halt to the offshore gold exploration project pending a transparent and independent review.
- The groups warn that the project could harm the livelihoods of thousands of artisanal fishers and damage the marine ecosystem.
- A formal review body is proposed to examine the licence award process and the potential impacts of the project.
