In a first for West Africa, the Republic of Ghana announced its commitment to achieving 100 percent transparency in industrial fisheries operating within the exclusive economic zone by 2025. Ghana will require all fishing vessels operating in its waters to fit electronic monitors, according to the country’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development. “The electronic monitoring system with have cameras and we have tied this to the licensing of the vessel to be able to go for fishing,” Mavis Hawa Koomson said. She said that the monitoring will not only track the vessels but also, through attached cameras, allow authorities to deal with claims of abuse of Ghanaian workers by Chinese vessel operators. The move comes after Ghana committed to ensuring 100% electronic monitoring of its industrial fisheries at the One Ocean conference in Panama City. It’s hoped the new policy will help Ghana better manage its marine resources.
