Fisheries Commission opposes offshore gold exploration licence over marine concerns
The Fisheries Commission has formally objected to an offshore gold exploration licence granted to Gold Coast GRC Ghana Ltd, arguing that the proposed programme was designed with a land-mining mindset and fails to adequately address the realities of Ghana’s marine environment.
In a letter to the Minerals Commission, the Fisheries Commission warned that the planned reconnaissance activities, covering about 10,000 square kilometres of Ghana’s continental shelf, could affect fisheries resources, fishing operations and coastal livelihoods if allowed to proceed without further assessment.
Rather than focusing on marine ecosystems and fishing activities, the Commission said the licence documentation contains provisions more suited to terrestrial mining. Among the examples cited were references to hunting, gathering firewood and collecting snails, while issues such as fishing grounds, fish stocks, navigation routes and fishing-community livelihoods received little attention.
The Commission also questioned the absence of a Fisheries Impact Assessment and noted that it was not meaningfully involved in the assessment, planning or permitting process despite the project being located entirely offshore.
According to the Commission, environmental and safety assessments attached to the licence largely overlook marine-specific risks, including interactions with fishing vessels, underwater noise, marine pollution, weather conditions, emergency evacuation procedures and search-and-rescue requirements.
The concerns have prompted the Fisheries Commission to call for a halt to any offshore reconnaissance activities until the identified shortcomings are addressed. It is also seeking comprehensive marine and fisheries baseline studies, consultations with fishing communities and the establishment of an inter-agency review mechanism involving relevant regulators.
The Commission linked its position to Ghana’s broader commitment to responsible ocean governance, noting that activities in marine spaces should be guided by science-based assessments and precautionary environmental safeguards.
While stressing that it is not opposed to investment or scientific exploration, the Commission maintained that any offshore project must adequately protect fisheries, coastal livelihoods, food security and the country’s blue economy before receiving approval.
Source: 3news
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