Ga Mantse King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II has announced a stringent legislative agenda aimed at eradicating child labour in the fishing industry.

The Ga king revealed that new traditional by-laws are being drafted to criminalise the practice of engaging children in commercial fishing during school hours, with a focus on holding parents and guardians legally accountable.

The announcement was made during the 2026 Kinka Blonya, an annual New Year children’s festival held on Thursday, January 1, 2026.

Addressing a large gathering of children, parents, and traditional leaders, the Ga Mantse made it clear that the era of choosing the high seas over the classroom is coming to an end.

Once the by-law is ratified, parents who allow or force their children into the fishing trade at the expense of their education will face immediate arrest and prosecution.

“All the traditional authorities in the Ga State have come together to actively promote education. A time is nearing when fishing by children at the expense of education will be criminalised,” the Ga Mantse stated emphatically.

To ensure that poverty does not remain a barrier to this educational mandate, he highlighted significant investments being made by the Office of the Ga Mantse.

This includes a massive scholarship scheme designed to cater to the most vulnerable families within the coastal communities.

The King noted that with these resources available, the state will no longer tolerate the sight of school-aged children at the landing beaches during school hours.

“We are at a point where prioritising education in the Ga state is non-negotiable. We are providing over 1000 scholarships; therefore, parents have no excuse to enrol their kids in schools. Let’s all come together and raise the Ga Children for the future,” he added.

This initiative is not merely a legal directive but a strategic socio-economic intervention. By awarding approximately a thousand scholarships, the traditional leadership seeks to create a new generation of professionals—doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs—hailing from the Ga community.

The Ga Mantse stressed that safeguarding the future of the state requires a collective shift in mindset, where the long-term benefits of a degree outweigh the short-term gains of a daily catch.

The traditional council is expected to collaborate with the Ghana Police Service and local government authorities to enforce these new regulations.

Key highlights of the upcoming enforcement include:

• Beach Patrols: Monitoring landing sites to identify children out of school.
• Parental Accountability: Legal summons for guardians of children found engaged in labour.
• Scholarship Verification: Ensuring that recipients of the 1,000+ scholarships maintain consistent attendance and academic performance.