The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur, has paid a working visit to the Tema Fishing Harbour to assess existing fish-weighing procedures and explore measures to strengthen transparency, accountability and compliance in Ghana’s fisheries sector.
The visit forms part of efforts to address concerns associated with Ghana’s European Union (EU) yellow card status and to implement measures aimed at improving transparency and monitoring within the fisheries value chain. The EU has highlighted the importance of reliable fish-weighing systems in promoting transparency and ensuring accurate records of fish landings.
The Minister’s visit focused on observing the processes involved in weighing fish landed by vessels at the harbour, assessing operational challenges, and examining the feasibility of installing weighing scales to improve the accuracy and reliability of fish landing data.
The Minister was accompanied by the Port Operations Head, representatives of the Marine and Coastal Surveillance Division (MCSD) of the Fisheries Commission, and the Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission, Prof. Benjamin Campion.
During the visit, the Minister and her delegation observed operations at the landing port and engaged relevant stakeholders on the procedures used to determine the quantities of fish landed. Discussions also centred on existing operational challenges, compliance issues and opportunities to improve monitoring and documentation at the harbour.
As part of the working visit, the Minister also visited Cosmos Foods Limited, a tuna receiving and processing facility, where she observed the reception and weighing of tuna, alongside the documentation and traceability procedures.
The engagement provided an opportunity to examine how fish quantities are recorded and tracked from the point of reception through the processing stage. Accurate weighing, proper documentation and effective traceability are essential for ensuring the reliability of fish landing records, strengthening monitoring systems and promoting responsible fisheries management.
A key outcome of the engagement was the further agreement that the Fisheries Commission would initiate arrangements to deploy Fisheries Commission officers at all fish-receiving and weighing points to monitor operations and ensure transparency in the weighing and recording of fish quantities.
The presence of officers at these points is expected to strengthen oversight, promote adherence to established procedures, and improve the credibility of fish landing data. It will also support efforts to ensure that the quantities of fish received and processed are properly documented and accounted for.
The working visit underscores the Ministry’s commitment to addressing concerns relating to Ghana’s EU yellow card status through practical measures that strengthen fisheries monitoring, improve accountability and promote compliance with applicable fisheries regulations.
Reliable fish landing data and transparent weighing procedures are important components of effective fisheries governance. They support evidence-based decision-making, improve monitoring of fishing activities and contribute to efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, working through the Fisheries Commission and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, will continue to pursue measures to strengthen monitoring systems and improve transparency across the fisheries value chain in support of the sustainable management of Ghana’s fisheries resources.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ghana.