Parliament approves Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill

The Parliament of Ghana has unanimously approved the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, following its third reading in the House on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

The passage of the bill marks a significant step toward modernizing Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, addressing illegal fishing, and promoting sustainable practices to ensure food security and economic growth.

The bill, which updates the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625), underwent its second reading on Tuesday night, July 15, 2025, during which parliamentarians made relevant amendments to various sections.

The legislative process involved extensive consultations with stakeholders, including the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG), and scrutiny by the Select Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, aims to strengthen the regulatory framework for the fisheries sector, which supports approximately 2.4 million Ghanaians and contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP.

Key provisions include extending the Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) to 12 nautical miles or 50 meters to protect artisanal fishers from industrial vessels, promoting sustainable aquaculture, and enhancing measures against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The bill also addresses environmental challenges such as overfishing, habitat degradation, and mercury contamination from illegal mining (galamsey).

The approval comes amid Ghana’s efforts to address the European Union’s second yellow card warning issued in 2021 over IUU fishing, which threatens the country’s fish exports to the EU market.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, was laid before Parliament by the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, in early June 2025 and referred to the Select Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs for detailed scrutiny, with input from the Ministry of Fisheries and the Attorney General’s Department.

GA