The Fisheries Commission is to deploy officers at fish-receiving and weighing points to improve transparency and ensure accurate recording of fish landings as Ghana works to address concerns surrounding its European Union (EU) yellow card status.
The decision follows a working visit by the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur, to the Tema Fishing Harbour to assess existing weighing procedures and identify measures to strengthen monitoring and compliance across the fisheries value chain.
The EU has raised concerns about the reliability of fish-weighing systems, which are important for maintaining accurate records of fish landed by vessels and strengthening oversight of fishing activities.
During the visit, the minister and her delegation observed operations at the harbour and engaged stakeholders on how fish quantities are measured, recorded and monitored.
The discussions covered operational challenges, compliance issues and the feasibility of installing weighing scales to improve the accuracy and reliability of fish landing data.
The minister was accompanied by the Port Operations Head, representatives of the Marine and Coastal Surveillance Division of the Fisheries Commission, and the Commission’s Executive Director, Prof. Benjamin Campion.
As part of the visit, the delegation also inspected Cosmos Foods Limited, a tuna receiving and processing facility, where they observed the reception and weighing of tuna and examined the documentation and traceability procedures.
The engagement focused on how quantities of fish are recorded and tracked from reception through processing, with emphasis on the need for accurate weighing and proper documentation.
The planned deployment of Fisheries Commission officers at all fish-receiving and weighing points is expected to strengthen supervision, ensure compliance with established procedures and improve the credibility of fish landing records.
It is also intended to ensure that quantities of fish received and processed are properly documented and accounted for.
Reliable landing data and transparent weighing procedures are important to fisheries management because they help authorities monitor fishing activities, support evidence-based decisions and strengthen efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
The ministry, working through the Fisheries Commission and other stakeholders, is pursuing measures to improve monitoring and accountability as part of efforts to promote compliance with fisheries regulations and sustainably manage Ghana’s fisheries resources.
