The Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (CFT), together with local environmental organizations, congratulates Hon. Emelia Arthur on her appointment as Ghana’s new Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD).
In her first week in office, Hon. Arthur presented a bold vision for sustainable growth of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Among plans, the minister announced: accelerating efforts to lift a second “yellow card” issued by the European Union over the country’s failure to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; establishing a Blue Economy Initiative; implementing improvements in aquaculture and empowering stakeholders – especially women -, by offering loans so they improve their work.
Hon. Arthur also admitted pressing challenges such as overfishing, illegal fishing, limited funding or insufficient data collection that she committed to addressing during her tenure.
The NGOs are expecting the newly appointed minister to deliver on important policies in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto on fisheries. Local advocacy groups asked Hon. Madam Arthur to protect coastal communities from the consequences of illegal fishing and associated abuses by adopting the 10 transparency policy principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency during the 2025-2028 mandate.
For Ghana, relevant policy measures to advance fisheries transparency include: regular publication of comprehensive fishing vessel licenses, authorizations, subsidies, official access agreements and sanctions and supplying this information to the FAO Global Record (Principle 2) and making public the information of vessels’ beneficial ownership (Principle 3). By implementing these and other Global Charter principles into law and practice, the improvements will provide fisheries employment opportunities for Ghanaians and support fair and equitable access to fisheries information for coastal communities as well as a voice in decision-making processes.
“As the new Ghana’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hon. Arthur is well positioned to provide strong leadership to ensure the sustainable future of Ghana’s coastal communities,” commented Maisie Pigeon, Director for the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency. “Her bold, clear, and transformative vision for the sector’s development builds on important commitments to the transparency made by the country in recent years. Through the adoption of the Global Charter principles, Hon. Arthur has the chance to leverage Ghana’s role in sustainable fisheries governance,” she concluded.
During her meeting with the Fisheries Commission – MoFAD’s implementing agency – last month, Hon. Arthur listed several priorities for the sector, including:
(Source: Republic Online)
- Strengthening the regulation of fishing vessels
- Reducing juvenile fish harvest through trawl sub-sector reform
- Enhancing canoe safety standards
- Monitoring illegal fishing practices with Electronic Monitoring Systems (EMS)
- Establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to conserve marine biodiversity.
Equipped with years of experience in government and development, and with a focus on stakeholder collaboration, Hon. Arthur has the chance to secure the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture industry.
“Collaboration, innovation, and dedication are key to building a fisheries sector that supports food security, economic empowerment, and environmental preservation,” she emphasized.
Cover image: © Maisie Pigeon
