The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has given sector players an opportunity to scrutinise and make input in a new Fisheries Bill to be laid before Parliament.

The bill, when passed into law, is expected to,among other things, strengthen legal and policy frameworks for the sustainable management of marine resources.

It would also reform laws to help check illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a problem that has put Ghana in a bad light internationally.

A consultative meeting between stakeholders and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs was, therefore,held on Thursday to validate the revised Fisheries Bill.

The meeting, chaired by Dr Godfrey Seidu Jasaw, Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa East, brought together key stakeholders across the fisheries value chain.

Dr Jasaw emphasised the need for a participatory approach in lawmaking, noting that: “The people who are governed by the law must have a hand in shaping it.”

He said the committee found it necessary to engage associations, fisherfolk, processors, exporters, and other key players to review the bill, clause by clause, making room for their input before it was laid on the floor of Parliament for consideration.

“This is not just a legal exercise. It is a shared responsibility to co-create a sustainable future for the industry,” he stated.

Dr Jasaw expressed confidence that the final output would reflect the collective will of the sector.

He highlighted the Government’s proactive steps, including the drafting of a new management plan and legislative reforms to respond to international concerns of the European Union (EU).

“There’s enormous need to act now, we are not just doing this to satisfy EU requirements, but to preserve our marine resources for future generations,” Dr Jasaw said.

“The bill is anchored on sustainability, responsible harvesting, and climate change resilience.”

Madam Emelia Arthur, the sector minister, saidGhana had already been under the EU’s yellow card warning for five years due to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and risked a red card if reforms were further delayed.

“In my recent engagement with the EU Director General, it was made clear that if we don’t move fast, we risk being handed a red card, this would completely ban us from exporting fish to EU markets,” she cautioned.

The fisheries sector contributed over 60 per centof the Ghana’s animal protein and supported the livelihoods of more than three million people, Madam Arthur noted.

“We must stop seeing this sector in silos. This is about food, jobs, exports, and our blue economy’sfuture. The time to act is now,” she said.

The ministry, she noted, had a vision to reposition the fisheries and aquaculture sector as a sustainable, well-governed and resilient one.

The sector would be driven by equity, innovation and strategic investment, leading to food security, decent jobs, economic growth, and environmental stewardship towards the country’s blue economy agenda.

The Minister said Ghana would report itssignificant progress at the upcoming United Nations Oceans Conference.

The conference will be held in Nice, France, from June 9 -13.

She noted that passage of the bill would not only help to lift the EU’s yellow card but also reposition Ghana as a leader in sustainable fisheries management.

“Let’s put emotions aside. This law is for the sector, for our economy, and for generations yet unborn. We must get it right,” she stated.

The proposed Fisheries Bill stipulates that the membership of the fisheries board will be determined by the Act itself, rather than the board.

This change is to minimise risks of bias or targeted selection of members.

The bill also incorporates a provision allowing persons aggrieved by decisions of the fisheries board to seek redress in the courts.

On marine resource management, the bill emphasises the adoption of a precautionary and ecosystem-based approach in developing fisheries management plans.

Provisions to support the development of local fishing enterprises, both industrial and inshore fishers are also included in bill.

The stakeholders called for the establishment of a separate fund for inland fishers, capturing of veterinary service as a relevant authority, and a regulation that highlights the role of veterinary service on fish health.

They also proposed a recruitment quota bias towards personnel of science background at the Fisheries Commission.