The Association of Artisanal Fishing Communities is demanding an immediate and complete halt to offshore gold exploration, warning that the activities could threaten fish stocks, coastal livelihoods and Ghana’s food security.

The groups, comprising chief fishermen, canoe owners, fishing crews, fish processors and traders, argue that coastal communities whose livelihoods depend on the sea were not adequately consulted before the reconnaissance licences were granted.

They warn that offshore gold exploration and potential exploitation could damage marine habitats, deplete fish stocks and disrupt access to traditional fishing grounds, with serious consequences for fishing communities and the wider fisheries sector.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on October 13, Kenneth Arthur, General Secretary of the Canoe and Fishing Gears Association of Ghana, stressed that the ocean was a living ecosystem that sustained fishing families and coastal communities, rather than simply a resource for exploitation.

“Our ocean is not a liquid desert waiting to be exploited,” he said.

Mr Arthur said the livelihoods, food security and cultural heritage of coastal communities depended on healthy fish stocks and productive marine ecosystems.

He noted that generations of fishing families had relied on the sea for food, employment and survival, making the protection of traditional fishing grounds essential to their continued existence.

“For generations, our communities have depended on the sea for food, employment, and survival. Our fishing grounds are not simply places where we work. They are a living inheritance that we have a responsibility to protect and pass on to future generations,” he said.

Mr Arthur warned that activities capable of damaging marine habitats, disrupting fish populations or restricting access to fishing grounds could undermine the livelihoods of communities that have depended on the sea for generations.

He said the consequences of offshore gold exploration could extend beyond fishermen to fish processors, traders and other people whose incomes depend on the fisheries value chain.

He cautioned against a future in which the marine environment was depleted of fish and biodiversity, leaving coastal communities struggling to sustain their livelihoods.

“Activities that damage marine habitats, disrupt fish populations, or restrict access to fishing grounds risk turning a living ocean into a liquid desert depleted of fish, stripped of its biodiversity, and unable to sustain the communities that have depended on it for generations,” he said.

The association argues that protecting the ocean is essential not only to the survival of present-day fishing communities but also to preserving marine resources for future generations.

Mr Arthur said the communities would not accept decisions that could jeopardise their children's livelihoods and access to a healthy and productive ocean.

“We cannot accept a future in which our children inherit the consequences of decisions made today at the expense of their livelihoods and their right to a healthy, productive ocean,” he said.

“The ocean must remain alive and productive,” he added.

The association is therefore urging President Mahama and the government to go beyond suspending offshore gold exploration activities and revoke the reconnaissance licences granted for operations in Ghana’s coastal waters.

“We therefore call on the President and the Government of Ghana to go beyond suspending these activities and take the necessary steps to revoke the licences and abandon plans for offshore gold exploration and exploitation in Ghana’s coastal waters,” he said.

The association maintains that the interests of fishing communities must be considered in decisions affecting Ghana’s marine resources, particularly given the dependence of coastal populations on fishing for their livelihoods and food security.