Parliament has passed the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at enhancing the effective regulation, governance, and sustainability of Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The bill, presented to Parliament by the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur, on June 3, 2025, seeks to provide a modern legal framework to guide the development of a sector that contributes significantly to the nation’s food security, employment, and economic growth. It was subsequently referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs for consideration before its final passage.
At the heart of the bill is a commitment to sustainably exploit Ghana’s fisheries resources through updated and consolidated laws, improved institutional arrangements, and the adoption of modern technologies. A key feature of the bill is the provision for an electronic monitoring system, which is expected to help Ghana meet traceability and sustainability standards required by the European Union and United States markets for legally sourced seafood.
Crucially, the bill paves the way for the establishment of a Fisheries Commission, mandated to oversee the long-term conservation, development, management, and utilisation of the country’s marine and inland fisheries and aquaculture resources. It also introduces harsher penalties for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—one of the major threats to the sustainability of the sector.
The passage of the bill comes at a critical time, as Ghana’s existing legal framework, the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625), has been deemed inadequate to address the growing complexity of fisheries governance and enforcement, particularly in combating IUU fishing. In 2021, the European Commission issued Ghana a “yellow card” warning, citing insufficient action against IUU practices.
Without decisive reforms, Ghana risked being issued a “red card”, which would lead to a ban on fish exports to the European Union—a move that could result in an estimated $425.9 million in lost revenue and damage the country’s international fisheries reputation.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, therefore represents a strategic intervention to align Ghana’s fisheries management with international best practices, protect marine biodiversity, and secure the livelihoods of millions of Ghanaians who depend on the sector.
The bill will come into force after receiving presidential assent. Once enacted, it is expected to usher in a new era of transparency, accountability, and sustainability for Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture industry.
