Nana Akissi Apentin III, the National Vice Chairperson of the National Small Pelagic Co-Management Committee has called for the Revocation of the Offshore Gold Exploration License.
She made the statement at a fishers press conference in Accra on Tuesday, 13th October 2026. She said the fishers welcome the President’s decision to suspend the offshore exploration activities as an important first step. However, She said the suspension alone does not provide the lasting certainty that fishing communities need.
She said fishers were calling on the Government to ensure that offshore mineral exploration and any proposed exploitation are not allowed to undermine Ghana’s marine conservation objectives, fisheries sustainability or the well-being of communities that depend on the sea. She said the expected impacts of offshore Gold exploitation includes declining fish catches, losses to women’s fish-processing and trading businesses, reduced access to affordable fish, the erosion of community wealth and the disruption of livelihoods passed down from one generation to the next.
She explained that a healthy ocean is a long-term investment in Ghana’s food security, employment, coastal resilience and future prosperity. It must not be sacrificed for short-term gains from offshore gold exploration and exploitation.
She called for a clear and definitive decision to revoke the licenses and protect Ghana’s coastal waters for the benefit of present and future generations. She said specific demands to the President were:
1. Revoke the offshore reconnaissance licenses granted to Gold Coast GCR Ghana Ltd. and abandon plans for offshore gold exploration and exploitation in Ghana’s coastal waters.
2. Protect the Inshore Exclusion Zone from seabed mineral exploration and extraction activities that could undermine its purpose of safeguarding artisanal fisheries and marine ecosystems.
3. Safeguard sensitive marine ecosystems, including the Greater Cape Three Points Marine Protected Area, from activities that could compromise biodiversity, fish stocks and ongoing conservation efforts.
4. Uphold the rights and voices of artisanal fishing communities by ensuring their meaningful consultation and participation in decisions affecting their fishing grounds, livelihoods and future.
5. Put the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s fisheries and food security first, ensuring that future generations inherit a healthy, productive ocean rather than a liquid desert.
In conclusion, She said fishers call on His Excellency the President and the Government of Ghana to go beyond suspending these activities and take the necessary steps to revoke the licenses and abandon plans for offshore gold exploration and exploitation in Ghana’s coastal waters.
She explained that Fishers cannot accept a future in which their children inherit the consequences of decisions made today at the expense of their livelihoods and their right to a healthy, productive ocean. Therefore the ocean must remain alive and productive, sustaining both marine biodiversity and the people whose lives depend on it.
HELP Foundation Africa Policy Desk. Tel: +233244817020. WhatsApp: +233598069009. Email: info@helpfoundationafrica.org
For media inquiries Contact: Kwadwo Kyei Yamoah (+233 244 817020, Kkyeiyams@gmail.com)
