Parliament has passed the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, aimed at reviewing and consolidating laws for sustainable fisheries resource exploitation.
The Bill specifically seeks to review and consolidate the laws relating to the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources and establish the Fisheries Commission to ensure the long-term conservation, development, management, and utilization of fisheries and aquaculture resources.
“The Bill also has the purpose of establishing a modern legal framework to enhance the governance, development, and sustainability of Ghana’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, which is pivotal to the national economy,” Dr. Godfred Siedu Jasaw, the Chairman of the Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs, said on Wednesday.
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, was presented to the House by Madam Emelia Arthur, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture (MoFA), on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
In accordance with Standing Order 160 (1), the minister, upon presentation and first reading, requested that the Bill be considered under certificate of urgency.
As a result, the Bill was subsequently referred to the Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs for consideration and report in accordance with Article 106 (4), (5), and (13) and Orders 160 (2) and 239 of the Standing Orders of the House.
Accordingly, the Committee met on Wednesday, June 4, and Thursday, June 5, and considered referral.
The Committee held a series of meetings to receive inputs from stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture industry.
Accordingly, the Committee, in its deliberations on the Bill, met with the sector minister, senior officers of the ministry, the Fisheries Commission, the National Premix Fuel Committee, and the officials of the Attorney-General’s Office and Ministry of Justice, the report said.
It noted that the Commmittee was guided by relevant documents such as the 1992 Constitution, the Standing Orders of Parliament, the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625), the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 2014 (Act 880), the Fisheries Regulations, 2010 (L.I. 1968), the Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations, 2015 (L.I. 2217), and the National Premix Fuel Committee Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2233) during its deliberations.
Debating for the passage of the Bill, Dr. Jasaw, the Chairman of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, said the fisheries and aquaculture sector played a pivotal role in Ghana’s national economy and the new Bill was expected to promote sustainable practices, boost economic growth, and ensure food security.
“Mr. Speaker, the sustainable management, utilization, and exploitation of the fisheries and aquaculture resources require the existence of a robust legal framework that governs fishing activities, regulates resource extraction, and ensures compliance with international and national environmental standards,” he said.
Dr. Jasaw told the House that Ghana was issued a “yellow card” by the European Commission (EC) in 2021 for failing to adequately tackle Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, adding that failure to act swiftly in changing the legal regime could result in the issuance of a “Red card” by the European Union.
“Mr. Speaker, a red card would result in a complete ban on the exportation of fish and fishery products to the European market, leading to an estimated loss of USD425,969,296.32,” he said.
The Committee Chairman said that the Committee observed that Ghana’s legal framework, the Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 625), was outdated, lacking provisions that addressed IUU fishing activities, and insufficient penalties for offenders.
“The Committee is convinced that the new Bill provides stricter penalties for IUU fishing and recommends its passage for a thriving fisheries sector.
“The Committee is confident that the new Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, is a step taken towards avoiding further sanctions, i.e., issuance of the ‘red card.”
The committee observed that the new bill seeks to implement an Electronic Metering System to meet EU and U.S. market requirements for legally sourced seafood.
To the Committee, the passage of this bill will prevent economic fallouts and preserve favourable trade relationships, especially between Ghana and the EU markets,” Dr. Jasaw said on the Floor of Parliament.
Source: Access Agric
