Accra, Ghana – 16 may, 2025
The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Godwin Livinus Bessing, on today, paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur, to discuss key security concerns affecting Ghana’s marine and fisheries sectors.
The visit provided an opportunity for the Naval Chief to officially congratulate Hon. Arthur on her new role while emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration between the Ghana Navy and the Ministry in safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain.
Urgent Attention Needed for GNS Achimota
Rear Admiral Bessing drew attention to the current state of the GNS Achimota, the Ghana Navy’s most advanced and largest offshore patrol vessel. He stressed the urgent need for support and intervention to restore the vessel to operational condition to enhance maritime surveillance and security efforts.
Commissioned on December 23, 2024, by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Sekondi Naval Base, the GNS Achimota forms a critical part of Ghana’s initiative to modernize its naval capabilities and secure its maritime space within the Gulf of Guinea.
GNS Achimota: Ghana Navy’s Flagship Patrol Vessel
- Length: 65.4 meters
- Gross Tonnage: 499 tons
- Built: 1999 by Kurinoura Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Yawatahama, Japan
- Engine: Single-screw fixed pitch propeller diesel engine
- Systems: Advanced navigation, communication, and surveillance equipment
Commanded by Commander Joshua Joy MacSimpiney, the vessel undertook its maiden voyage from Japan’s Yawatahama Port on October 18, 2024, completing a record-setting 36-day journey that spanned 10,869.7 nautical miles and included crossing the equator twice—once in the Indian Ocean and once in the Atlantic Ocean. This voyage marks the longest passage in Ghana Navy history.
Operational Role and Strategic Importance
The GNS Achimota plays a pivotal role in:
- Maritime Security: Monitoring and deterring piracy, illegal smuggling, and other maritime threats.
- Fisheries Protection: Enforcing laws against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
- Naval Training: Serving as a platform for practical training and operational readiness for naval personnel.
Rear Admiral Bessing was accompanied by Commodore Francis Nyarko, National Coordinator of the Fisheries Enforcement Unit (FEU), highlighting the close interagency cooperation between the Navy and fisheries enforcement authorities.
Minister Outlines Key Priorities
In her response, Hon. Emelia Arthur reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to deepening collaboration with security agencies to address ongoing challenges in the fisheries sector. She outlined several urgent priorities:
- Strengthening the enforcement of fisheries laws
- Acquiring additional patrol boats to expand offshore surveillance
- Engaging the European Union to lift Ghana’s current “yellow card” status
- Intensifying the fight against illegal fishing activities
- Suspending the licenses of four vessels found in violation of fishing regulations
Hon. Arthur emphasized that effective monitoring, control, and enforcement at sea is vital to sustaining fish stocks, protecting livelihoods, and securing Ghana’s blue economy.
