10 Key Things You Need to Know About the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill Passed, 2025
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In a landmark legislative achievement, the Parliament of Ghana on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, unanimously approved the Fisheries and Aquaculture bill, 2025, marking a pivotal moment for the nation’s vital fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
The passage of this comprehensive bill, spearheaded by the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, signals Ghana’s firm commitment to modernizing its legal framework, combating rampant illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and fostering sustainable practices essential for long-term food security and robust economic growth.
The newly approved bill is a significant overhaul designed to review and consolidate the existing, outdated laws governing the exploitation of fisheries resources. It aims to establish a robust legal and institutional framework for the sustainable management, utilization, and exploitation of Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture resources.
This legislative reform is also crucial for aligning Ghana with international fisheries management obligations, ensuring both ecological and economic sustainability in the long term. The move comes at a critical juncture, as Ghana has been under pressure from the European Union, having received a “yellow card” warning in 2021 over inadequate measures against IUU fishing. Failure to update the legal regime could have led to a “red card” and a ban on fish exports to the EU market, potentially costing the nation an estimated $425.9 million in lost revenue.
The journey to this approval involved extensive consultations with stakeholders, including the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG), and detailed scrutiny by the Select Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs. Once assented to by the President, the Passed bill is poised to usher in a new era of transparency, compliance, and sustainability, benefiting the approximately 2.4 million Ghanaians who rely on this sector for their livelihoods.
To fully grasp the transformative potential of this new legislation, here are
10 key things you need to know about the Fisheries and Aquaculture Passed bill, 2025:
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Establishment of a New Fisheries Commission as a Body Corporate
The bill passed mandates the establishment of the Fisheries Commission as a body corporate. Its primary object is to ensure the long-term conservation, development, management, and utilization of fisheries and aquaculture resources.
The Commission will be responsible for a wide array of functions, including preparing plans for sustainable management, establishing priorities for resource utilization, preventing overfishing and prohibited fishing practices, and establishing mechanisms to minimize conflicts among resource users.
Crucially, it will play a central role in deterring, preventing, and eliminating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and related activities. Additionally, the Commission is tasked with promoting cooperation among fishers, advancing small-scale fishery development, undertaking scientific surveys, collaborating with research institutions, and engaging with District Assemblies for sustainable management.
It must also ensure the implementation and enforcement of international fisheries agreements and treaties. The governing body of the Commission will be a thirteen-member Board, appointed by the President, responsible for strategic direction and overseeing resource management.
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Modernized and Consolidated Legal Framework:
The Passed bill directly addresses the shortcomings of the existing legal framework, which comprised the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625), as amended by the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 2014 (Act 880), and supported by various Regulations.
These previous laws, enacted in 2002, had not seen major changes to reflect emerging trends in sustainable fisheries management or adequately express decisions and recommendations from international fisheries organizations and treaties like the Port State Measures Agreement.
The new Passed bill repeals both Act 625 and Act 880, consolidating previous successive amendments and providing a unified, robust legal framework that better supports sustainable fisheries resource management.
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Stricter Measures Against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing:
A core objective of the Passed bill is to intensify the fight against IUU fishing, which has plagued Ghana’s fisheries sector. The Passed bill explicitly prohibits IUU fishing in Ghanaian waters and outlines specific activities presumed to be IUU fishing.
These include fishing without a valid license, failing to report catch data, fishing in closed areas, using prohibited gear, falsifying vessel identity, obstructing officials or observers, and transhipping undersized fish. The Passed bill introduces stricter penalties, including significant fines (up to $2 million for foreign vessels) and forfeiture of catch and gear.
For repeat offenders, the Passed bill mandates suspension or revocation of licenses and immediate steps to delete the vessel’s name from the Ghana Shipping Registry, along with publication on IUU fishing lists of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. These measures are critical to addressing the European Union’s “yellow card” warning and preventing a detrimental “red card” ban on Ghana’s fish exports.
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Implementation of Electronic Monitoring Systems:
To enhance compliance and meet international market demands, the Passed bill provides for the implementation of electronic monitoring systems. This is particularly aimed at satisfying the requirements of the European Union and United States markets for legally sourced seafood.
For industrial and foreign fishing vessels, the Passed bill mandates that they must be fitted with a monitoring device prescribed by the Commission before a license can be issued. Such devices include vessel monitoring systems, electronic logbooks, automatic identification systems, and satellite-based monitoring systems.
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Extension of the Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ):
A significant protection for local fishers is the Passed bill’s provision to extend the Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) to 12 nautical miles or 50 meters. This designated area of fishery water resources is intended for exclusive use by semi-industrial vessels, canoes, and recreational fishing vessels, along with fishing gear prescribed by the Commission.
The measure aims to protect artisanal fishers from the encroachment of larger industrial vessels, ensuring their livelihoods and promoting sustainable practices within traditional fishing grounds.
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Comprehensive Regulation of Aquaculture Activities:
Recognizing the growing importance of aquaculture, the bill passed provides a much-needed comprehensive framework for the sector. It mandates the Commission to prepare an aquaculture development plan for management, which can relate to designated areas, specific water bodies, or fish species.
The Minister is empowered to designate aquaculture development zones to attract and promote aquaculture establishments, manage activities, and encourage technology transfer. The Passed bill outlines requirements for registration and licensing of aquaculture holding facilities and commercial aquaculture establishments, including environmental permits and water usage permits.
It also includes provisions against the unapproved introduction or transfer of aquatic organisms or genetically modified aquatic organisms, requires immediate reporting of diseases or harmful organisms, mandates water quality monitoring systems, and ensures measures to prevent the escape of aquaculture stock into the wild.
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Enhanced Post-Harvest Management and Trade Activities:
The Passed bill introduces robust measures for post-harvest management and trade, areas where Act 625 previously fell short.
It requires registration for micro fish processing and storage establishments and mandates collaboration between the Commission, the Food and Drugs Authority, and the Ghana Standards Authority to regulate import, export, handling, sale, transport, storage, treatment, and processing of fish, ensuring hygienic and safe products for human consumption.
The Passed bill establishes clear requirements for permits to import and export fish, fishery products, and aquaculture products, specifying qualifications for businesses and requiring various supporting documents like aquatic health certificates and catch certificates.
Importantly, it also mandates traceability requirements for exported products and empowers the Commission to issue guidelines on specifications and labelling.
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New General Conservation Measures:
To safeguard Ghana’s aquatic resources, the bill passed introduces several general conservation measures. It prohibits the pollution of fishery waters by deleterious substances that could harm fish or their habitat. Fishing for endangered, threatened, or protected species is prohibited without written authorization from the Commission, and accidentally caught species must be immediately released.
The bill passed also provides for the protection of gravid and juvenile crustaceans and other juvenile fishes, imposing administrative penalties for contravention. The Minister is empowered to declare closed seasons for fishing in specific marine or inland waters, based on scientific information, and declarations by international bodies Ghana is a member of are recognized. Furthermore, it requires a Fisheries Impact Assessment for any non-fishing activity likely to have a substantial impact on fishery or aquatic resources.
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Clearer Licensing and Registration of Fishing Vessels:
The bill passed provides detailed provisions for the licensing and registration of various types of fishing vessels. It prohibits the use of Ghanaian fishing vessels, bare-boats, or canoes for fishing without prior registration and a valid license from the Commission.
It outlines different types of licenses for industrial, semi-industrial, foreign, inland artisanal, and marine artisanal fishing vessels, and vessels engaged in fishing-related activities. The Passed bill specifies qualifications for licenses, including registration under the Ghana Shipping Act, seaworthiness, compliance with enactments, disclosure of ownership, and crew conditions of service.
It also sets out detailed application procedures for each vessel type, including required documents like insurance certificates, tax clearance, crew lists, and beneficial ownership declarations. The Passed bill establishes a Fishery Licence Evaluation Committee to review applications (excluding artisanal vessels). Licenses are generally valid for one year and are subject to annual renewal.
The bill also details grounds and procedures for refusal, suspension, modification, and cancellation of licenses. Furthermore, it creates a register of all issued licenses. For industrial vessels, it imposes an obligation to employ at least seventy-five per cent Ghanaian citizens as master, officers, and crew.
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Strengthened Compliance, Enforcement, and Judicial Provisions:
To ensure effective implementation, the bill passed introduces comprehensive compliance and enforcement measures. The Commission can issue Compliance Notices for threats to aquatic life or biodiversity, with penalties for non-compliance.
It empowers the Commission to apply to court for the enforcement of its directives. The Passed bill provides for the designation and functions of authorised officers, who have powers of entry, inspection, search, and seizure, and the authority to interview crew and examine documents.
Observers can also be appointed on fishing vessels to collect data and report contraventions. A new Fisheries Enforcement Unit is established, comprising personnel from the Ghana Navy, Air Force, Police Service, Immigration Service, Customs Division, and the Attorney-General’s Office, reporting directly to the Executive Director. The Passed bill also introduces authorization for electronic surveillance for investigation purposes. Judicial provisions include jurisdiction of courts, institution of criminal proceedings by the Attorney-General or Commission officers, and the admissibility of various forms of evidence, such as certificates of evidence, readings from designated devices, photographic evidence, and electronic/digital evidence.
It also creates a Compounding Offences Committee for settling certain offenses administratively. Finally, it establishes a Fisheries and Aquaculture Appeals Committee to hear appeals against decisions made by the Minister or the Commission regarding licenses, permits, and authorizations.
The passing of the Fisheries and Aquaculture bill, 2025, signifies Ghana’s proactive approach to safeguarding its valuable marine and inland resources against pervasive threats like climate change, overfishing, habitat degradation, and mercury contamination from illegal mining.
With this modern legal framework, Ghana is poised to strengthen its position as a responsible and sustainable player in the global fisheries and aquaculture industry, ensuring continued contributions to national development through job creation, wealth generation, poverty reduction, and foreign exchange earnings.
Also read: COAG to Host Aquaculture Ghana This October,2025 in Accra
