Accra, Ghana – July 17, 2025 Parliament has passed the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts to modernize and strengthen the governance of its fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The newly passed bill provides a comprehensive legal framework aimed at improving the sustainable exploitation, conservation, and management of Ghana’s fisheries resources, which are essential to the country’s food security, livelihoods, and national economy.
Key Features of the Bill:
Consolidates and reviews existing laws on fisheries and aquaculture.
Establishes a Fisheries Commission to oversee long-term sector management and development.
Introduces electronic monitoring systems to comply with European Union and U.S. requirements for legally sourced seafood.
Imposes stricter penalties to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The bill, presented by Hon. Emelia Arthur, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, on June 3, 2025, was referred to the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs before receiving full Parliamentary approval.
The move comes at a critical time. Ghana’s current legal regime—the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625)—is considered outdated and inadequate to address rising challenges in the sector, particularly IUU fishing. In 2021, Ghana received a “yellow card” warning from the European Commission for insufficient action on IUU fishing, with the risk of a “red card” ban looming, which could cost the nation up to $425.9 million in lost fish export revenue.
Once the President assents to it, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, will usher in a new era of transparency, compliance, and sustainability in Ghana’s fisheries governance.
