Ghana is home to over 180 fishing villages and 270 fish landing beaches, with almost 3 million people that rely on small-scale fisheries for their food and livelihoods. These lives and livelihoods are at risk today, in large part because of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Ghanaian waters.
In view of the impact of these activities on our citizens and communities, and the 2024 election season reaching its final phase, we, the undersigned organizations are kindly asking you to pledge to make genuine improvements in the transparency of our fisheries by supporting the principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency during your tenure from 2025 to 2028.
While ongoing efforts to review the Fisheries Act are anticipated to enhance transparency, some fisheries management and decision-making processes remain opaque. Additionally, certain illegal fishing practices continue to persist, and there is a need for frameworks to make essential fisheries information more publically accessible and user-friendly.
By signing this pledge, you are supporting our efforts to ensure Ghana continues to make vital progress in fisheries transparency and protecting the lives and livelihoods of our coastal citizens and communities.