Global losses due to IUU fishing are an estimated US$50 billion annually, US$11 billion of that in African waters.
by Blue Africa News, Lagos, Nairobi and Cape Town, October 8, 2025
Ghana has launched the West Africa Sustainable Ocean Program (WASOP), a regional initiative aimed at promoting sustainable ocean governance, advancing the blue economy, and protecting marine ecosystems across 13 coastal West African nations.
Speaking during the launch event at Ghana’s Artisanal Fishing Harbour in Tema, Emelia Arthur, minister for fisheries and aquaculture, hailed the move as a defining moment in the country’s bid to secure the health of oceans.
“This is a defining moment in our collective journey to secure the health of our oceans, strengthen the resilience of our fisheries, and safeguard the prosperity of our coastal communities,” the minister said, according to Fisheries Ghana.
The launch in early October was attended by Rune Skinnebach, the European Union (EU) ambassador to Ghana, who called on the country Ghana to urgently address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, noting that it deprives West Africa of billions of dollars annually and threatens food security and jobs.
“The ocean is our common heritage and its health is our shared responsibility,” he stressed.
Global losses due to IUU fishing are estimated to be up to US$50 billion annually, according to science.org, with Africa losing US$11.2 billion in revenue annually from the activities.
WASOP’s mandate is to tame the illegal activity not only in Ghana, but across West Africa.
Emelia said WASOP is anchored on the three pillars of strengthening ocean governance, supporting a sustainable Blue Economy, and protecting and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems, with the goal of reducing IUU fishing through improved regional cooperation.
WASPO, she noted, will operate in tandem with Ghana’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146) and the National Blue Economy Agenda, which work hand-in-hand to provide the legal and policy frameworks to harness Ghana’s ocean and freshwater resources for sustainable growth.
“Our fishers and coastal communities are not just beneficiaries, they are true partners in this journey,” added the minister.
“Their active engagement will ensure that WASOP remains locally grounded and regionally owned.”
The program spans 13 coastal West African states of Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News