Over 600 local and international delegates convened at Burma Hall in Accra for the opening of the 4th International Maritime Defense and Exhibition Conference (IMDEC), hosted by the Ghana Navy.

The high-level gathering focused on strategies to address growing maritime threats across the Gulf of Guinea, including piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling, human trafficking, and other transnational crimes.

Key discussions centered on the need for enhanced law enforcement, modern surveillance technologies, and stronger regional collaboration.

Ghana’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, highlighted the government’s commitment to maritime security, revealing that her ministry has deployed advanced fisheries management technologies and real-time surveillance systems to protect Ghana’s marine resources.

She indicated that IUU fishing keeps threatening the maritime economy, and as such, her ministry is intensifying efforts to address these issues.

“Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) undermines our maritime economy and threatens the livelihoods of artisanal fishers. In addressing these threats, the ministry is intensifying the adoption of modern surveillance and fisheries management technologies, including vessel monitoring systems, automatic identification systems, electronic monitoring systems, and electronic catch documentation and traceability to enhance enforcement and transparency.

In addition, the fisheries legal framework is undergoing a comprehensive review aimed at enhancing governance and aligning with international best practices. This new bill is likely to be made into law this week in parliament”, she said.

Also addressing participants, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Godwin Livinus Bessing, called for urgent government support to address logistics and resource gaps in the naval sector.

“So, when it comes to the resources, we as a Navy have been hit by old age vessels. In the past years, since 2016, we have had to lay off about four of our capital ships, ships that we use in ECOMOC operations and so on. So, currently, if we want to do any amphibious operation, it becomes difficult.

You notice that in those days of ECOMOC, we were actually shortening troops to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Now, we don't have that capacity to do that anymore. So, that calls for the government to actually equip us”, he indicated.

The conference featured state-of-the-art exhibitions in naval warfare and military technology, attracting top global defense manufacturers and technology firms.

IMDEC 2025 also served as a strategic platform to strengthen defense partnerships among African navies and with international security stakeholders.

The event reaffirms Ghana’s growing leadership role in regional maritime security efforts and its ongoing push for sustainable ocean governance.