Parliament has approved the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025 — a major legislative milestone aimed at modernising Ghana’s fisheries sector and enhancing its sustainability and global competitiveness.

The bill introduces a robust legal framework to govern the development, conservation, and regulation of the fisheries and aquaculture industry, a sector critical to Ghana’s economy through job creation, food security, and foreign exchange earnings.

A key objective of the bill is to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing through tougher penalties and the introduction of an Electronic Monitoring System. This move is in response to growing international pressure, particularly from the European Union and the United States, which require legal and traceable sourcing of seafood.

Preventing Trade Sanctions

Ghana’s current Fisheries Act, enacted in 2002, has been criticised as outdated and ineffective in addressing modern challenges. In 2021, the European Commission issued Ghana a “yellow card” for failing to adequately combat IUU fishing — a warning that could escalate to a “red card” and an export ban. Such a sanction could cost Ghana nearly $426 million in lost revenue.

To avoid this, the new bill consolidates and reforms existing laws and regulations, setting up a Fisheries Commission to oversee long-term resource management and aligning local legislation with international commitments such as the Port State Measures Agreement.

Driving Sustainable Development

The bill was presented to Parliament by Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Emelia Arthur on June 3, 2025, and reviewed by the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs. The committee’s report, signed by Chairman Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, emphasised the urgency of legal reforms to address current gaps in areas like aquaculture practices, post-harvest handling, inland fisheries, gear technology, and climate resilience.

Earlier reviews by the World Bank and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlighted inconsistencies in Ghana’s fragmented legal structure. The new law addresses these shortcomings by providing a unified, modernised legal framework that supports long-term ecological sustainability and market viability.

Once signed into law by the President, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2025, will be a game-changer — positioning Ghana’s fisheries sector for future growth, international compliance, and environmental stewardship.

Voting was temporarily suspended at the Methodist Church Odorkor 1 polling station on Friday during the parliamentary re-run in the Ablekuma North Constituency following a disturbance involving political party agents and former Awutu Senya East MP, Hawa Koomson.

Eyewitnesses reported that confusion erupted after Ms. Koomson visited the polling station to observe proceedings. She initially complied with the process but returned later, allegedly defying police orders to vacate the premises.

Tensions escalated when some party supporters, observing from outside the church, reacted angrily to her continued presence. During the confrontation, it is alleged that Ms. Koomson discharged pepper spray into the crowd, prompting a chaotic response that disrupted the voting process.

Security personnel swiftly intervened, escorting the former MP out of the premises through a rear exit of the church.

Prior to the incident, the Presiding Officer, Maame Ama Gyanfuah, confirmed that 126 out of 464 registered voters had cast their ballots. The altercation occurred around 11:00 a.m., but calm was restored by 11:40 a.m. as police secured the area and prevented further unauthorized access.

The Daily Graphic team observed physical scuffles at the church entrance and noted the presence of several National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials, including Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande, Legal Affairs Head Edudzi Tamakloe, Deputy Communications Director Malik Basintale, and NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, who was touring polling stations.

Other Polling Stations:

Voting continued without incident at other polling centres across the constituency. At Odorkor Tsunami, however, a journalist with the EIB Network was reportedly assaulted by a police officer.

At five other polling stations visited by the Daily Graphic, voting was smooth with party agents and heavy security visibly present:

Church of Pentecost North Odorkor 2 (Tsunami): 22 out of 67 voters had voted by 9:40 a.m.

Church of Pentecost North Odorkor 4: 31 out of 137 voters by 9:45 a.m.

Presby Church Odorkor 4: 41 out of 112 voters by 10:00 a.m.

Living Spring Day Nursery Kwashie Bu 1: 180 out of 428 voters by 10:40 a.m.

Lord’s Pentecostal Church Kwashie Polling Station C: 165 out of 563 voters by 11:00 a.m.

Background:

The parliamentary re-run in Ablekuma North aims to finalize the 2024 parliamentary election results. Out of 280 polling stations, results from 261 have already been collated.

Nana Akua Afriyie, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, currently holds a narrow lead with 32,512 votes — just 48 votes ahead of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, who has 32,464 votes.

A total of 6,639 eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots in the remaining 19 polling stations at yesterday around 3:00pm.

The Greater Accra Regional Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joshua Alabi, has assured the public that the parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North Constituency will be conducted without intimidation, interference, or manipulation.

His assurance follows allegations by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the Electoral Commission (EC) is showing bias in favour of the NDC ahead of the rerun scheduled for Friday, July 11, across 19 polling stations.

The NPP has labelled the EC’s decision to hold the rerun as “unjust” and has officially withdrawn from the process. However, its parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, has chosen to defy the party’s directive and will participate in the election. Attempts by the NPP to halt the rerun through legal and administrative actions have not succeeded.

In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Thursday, July 10, Joshua Alabi rejected claims that the state might misuse its power to influence the outcome.

“In the past, when state institutions acted corruptly, their powers were taken away. Those days are behind us,” he stated.

Alabi emphasized that the NDC would not adopt questionable tactics, saying, “It’s part of the reason the NPP is in the situation they are now. We won’t repeat their mistakes.”

He also disclosed that the NDC had met with the National Security task force, which assured them that the election would proceed peacefully and transparently.

The rerun was necessitated by disputes over the results in specific polling stations during the December 2024 general election. The Electoral Commission opted for a fresh vote in the affected areas to preserve electoral integrity.