The environmental NGO, Friends of the Nation (FoN), has initiated a campaign to safeguard Ghana's expanded Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) for artisanal fishers. The "Protecting Our Zone, Securing Our Future" campaign was launched at a workshop in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region. The event brought together fishers, fishmongers, and industry stakeholders to discuss recent regulatory changes and the boundaries of the newly expanded IEZ.
Ghana's government has doubled the IEZ from six to 12 nautical miles offshore, effectively expanding the protected area for small-scale, artisanal operators. This move aims to shield canoe fishers and other artisanal operators from competition with larger industrial vessels. FoN's Executive Director, Mevuta Donkris, expressed gratitude to the government for the extension but emphasized that vigilance is crucial to prevent encroachment by industrial trawlers.
The expanded IEZ is a significant development for Ghana's coastal fishing communities, which have been struggling with declining fish catches. Artisanal fishers depend on small pelagic fish, such as sardinella, for their livelihoods. FoN's campaign seeks to address concerns that new marine protection measures could complicate access to fishing grounds for small-scale operators. The NGO is training coastal communities in Ahanta West to monitor and report any boundary violations.
Kenneth Arthur, Secretary-General of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG), welcomed the extension and emphasized that any encroachment by industrial trawlers would be unlawful. He noted that pair trawlers, which are heavy industrial vessels that fish in coordinated pairs, had previously been a problem when the protected zone was only six nautical miles. Arthur urged fishers to remain united and vigilant.
Frank Eshun, an official of the Fisheries Commission in Takoradi, explained that heavy vessels are permitted to pass through the 12-nautical-mile zone but are prohibited from fishing within it. He compared pair trawling to galamsey, describing both as ecologically destructive practices that disrupt natural ecosystems. Eshun assured that the Commission would continue to sensitize artisanal fishers to protect their boundaries and report any encroachment to the authorities.
The campaign comes amid an ongoing crisis around declining fish catches along Ghana's coast, which has strained the incomes of canoe fishers and fishmongers. FoN's campaign aims to ensure that the expanded zone works in fishers' favor rather than becoming another source of conflict at sea. The organization is working to address tensions between artisanal fishers and industrial trawlers.
While the campaign has been launched, it remains unclear how boundary violations will be monitored or policed in practice along the 12-nautical-mile line. The Fisheries Commission has stated its intention to continue sensitization efforts and act on reports of encroachment, but a specific timeline for further workshops or enforcement actions has not been provided.
Key points
- Friends of the Nation launches campaign to protect Ghana's expanded Inshore Exclusive Zone for artisanal fishers from industrial trawlers.
- The campaign aims to address concerns that new marine protection measures could complicate access to fishing grounds for small-scale operators.
- The expanded IEZ has been doubled from six to 12 nautical miles offshore to shield canoe fishers and other artisanal operators from competition with larger industrial vessels.
