EJF urges fisheries sector to expedite transparent vessel registry 

By Wisdom JONNY-NUEKPE

An environmental and fisheries governance civil society organisation, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), has recommended that government fully implement principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency – especially on vessel information in the country’s marine space.

The organisation said it is imperative for authorities, including the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MoFAD), to publish the register of fishing vessels on the ministry’s website and submit this information for inclusion in the FAO Global Record of Fishing Vessels.

According to EJF, it is equally important for an updated data on fisheries-related infringements and sanctions to be published and made publicly available at least once per year – specifying the date of infraction; the name, IMO number and owner of the vessel; nature of the offence; the settlement procedure and sanction applied.

As part of its appeals, beneficial ownership information (disclosed at the point of registration) including licencing and authorisation must also be made available to the public in a free and easily accessible format.

The organisation said authorities must ensure that vessels controlled by foreign entities are not eligible for registration under the Ghanaian flag and are instead required to operate in the framework of robust and transparent access arrangements, in line with all Charter principles.

In its recent fisheries analysis document dubbed ‘Ghana transparency gap analysis report: Evaluating transparency in Ghana’s fisheries sector’, released on January 19, 2026, EJF said the country has partially implemented most of the above principles while falling short on key aspects.

The recently adopted Fisheries and Aquaculture Act has set out the legal basis and requirements for routine publication of key information including lists of licences and details of out-of-court settlements reached for fisheries offences, as well as provisions for mandatory automatic identification system (AIS).

Key gaps however remain, including around public access to data on vessel beneficial ownership in the marine space.

While the existing Fisheries Regulations remain in force, EJF opined that these must be updated to address gaps in the Act, clarify outstanding issues – including details of the fish product traceability system – and support consistent application of the legal framework.

The organisation said it is also critical to ensure that existing regulations which strengthen aspects of the transparency principles, such as the ban on transhipment, are not watered down in the new regulations.

In addition, swift and robust implementation of the Act will be fundamental to achieving greater transparency.

Ghana has recently demonstrated its political will to improve transparency and accountability in its marine fisheries sector.

At the 2025 Our Oceans Conference, MoFAD endorsed the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency – committing strongly to beneficial ownership transparency at the United Nations Ocean Conference in June last year.

These announcements have been accompanied by a number of key developments, including publication of sanctions that led to suspending four industrial trawlers’ licences. Despite this progress, however, further action is needed to fully implement all ten principles of the Global Charter.

Ghana’s fisheries sector is an important source of livelihoods, employing about 10 percent of the country’s population and providing direct employment to over three million people in the value chain, including fishmongers and fish processors.

Illegal fishing and overfishing however risk collapsing Ghana’s fish populations, directly undermining the most basic human rights of coastal communities and costing the country millions of dollars every year.

EJF maintains that greater transparency is needed to achieve sustainable, legal and ethical fisheries.

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