Examining the Influence of Foreign Policies and Strategies on Ocean Governance in Ghana

Abstract

The study analyses how Ghana’s domestic fishery management has been influenced by foreign policies. Using the examples of the EU’s IUU Regulation and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the study traces the evolution of Ghana’s fisheries policies over the past 25 years in response to these policies. Key events identified during this period include: (1) the EU’s decision to issue Ghana its first yellow card under the EU IUU Regulation in November 2013 for what it perceived as Ghana’s failure to implement international laws and cooperate with the region’s fisheries management body, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas; (2) an agreement between the Ghanaian government and the Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation for USD 4 billion in investment to fund various infrastructure projects, including ocean-related facilities; and (3) the EU’s decision to reissue a yellow card in 2021 due to what it identified as weak enforcement of Ghana’s fisheries regulations. In response to these key events, Ghana reformed its Fisheries Act, strengthened collaboration with local NGOs and inter-institutional partners, and renewed its commitment to socioeconomic and environmental concerns. Despite these progressive initiatives, Ghana is caught between the governance-driven EU IUU framework and the investment-driven Chinese BRI, placing the country in a complex trade-off situation. This leaves Ghana with little choice, other than to comply with the strict stipulations of the European Union in the exportation of fish despite the Chinese bank support in terms of funds to put up the ports and fishing equipment. Therefore, there is a dilemma of adhering or staying at the behest of the country. The study concludes that balancing external pressures while protecting Ghana’s ecosystems and the economic livelihoods they support is essential to safeguarding the country’s fishery resources.