CSOs urge government to review 10,000 sq km offshore gold licences over fisheries concerns

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in the fisheries and coastal sectors have called on the government to urgently review offshore gold reconnaissance activities along Ghana’s western continental coast.

The CSOs cited concerns over the potential implications of such activities on fisheries, marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods, urging the government to tread cautiously.

In an open letter dated September 28, 2026 and addressed to President John Dramani Mahama, the CSOs said they did not oppose responsible investment or the lawful exploitation of Ghana’s natural resources, but insisted that decisions affecting the ocean space must protect fisheries, biodiversity, food security, human rights and coastal livelihoods.

The groups said information published by GoldCoast Resource Corp. indicated that the company held 10 offshore reconnaissance licences covering approximately 10,000 square kilometres, extending about 300 kilometres along the coast between Half-Assini and Winneba and reaching approximately 33 kilometres offshore.

They said the published map suggested that portions of the licensed area fell within Ghana’s Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ), which, under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146), extended from the coastline to 12 nautical miles offshore.

However, the CSOs stressed that the precise extent of any overlap could only be established after the official cadastral coordinates and licence instruments had been made public.

According to the open letter, company disclosures indicated that about 50,000 line-kilometres of airborne magnetic data had already been collected across the licensed area, with more detailed work focused on a 500 square-kilometre priority area around the mouth of the Ankobra River.

The groups said the company’s stated forward programme included marine bathymetric and seismic surveys, followed by vibro-core drilling and bulk seabed sampling.

They said the company had also acknowledged that no mineral resource or reserve, or economic viability had yet been established, stressing that there was still an opportunity for the government to determine the legal, environmental and social implications of the proposed activities before any more intrusive phase was authorised.

“We respectfully call for government’s urgent clarification and leadership while the project remains at a stage where these questions can meaningfully influence its future direction,” they stated.

They raised particular questions about the legal basis for vibro-coring, bulk seabed sampling, dredging and any eventual extraction.

They cited Section 32(3) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended, which they said prohibited holders of reconnaissance licences from drilling or excavating.

They also referred to Section 99(6) of the Act, which they said made it an offence to use a floating platform or other equipment for mining or dredging to obtain minerals in Ghana’s natural water bodies, including the territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The CSOs consequently urged the government to clarify how the proposed activities could lawfully proceed under the existing legal framework.

Fisheries concerns

The groups said the development had to be considered against the background of efforts by Ghana to rebuild depleted fish stocks, protect marine habitats and safeguard coastal livelihoods.

“Mr President, Ghana has taken important steps to expand the IEZ, rebuild its fisheries and establish its first Marine Protected Area.

The same shallow coastal waters should not be subjected to a potentially competing extractive use without first establishing, transparently and scientifically, the consequences for fisheries, biodiversity and the coastal communities that already depend on them,” they said.

They cited the Marine Fisheries Management Plan 2022–2026, which estimated that the fisheries subsector supported about 10 per cent of Ghana’s population, including fishers, processors, boat owners, boat builders and other ancillary workers.

They also cited the 2022 Canoe Frame Survey, which recorded 110,351 marine artisanal fishers and 12,181 canoes.

The Fisheries Commission’s 2025 Annual Performance Report, they said, recorded 282,658.29 metric tonnes of artisanal fish landings, representing 63.68 per cent of total landings.

The CSOs said the expanded IEZ, the Marine Fisheries Management Plan and the 703.86 square-kilometre Greater Cape Three Points Marine Protected Area (MPA) should all be considered when decisions were being taken on mineral activities in the same marine space.

The groups further expressed concern that seismic and other acoustic surveys, increased vessel traffic, seabed disturbance and sediment plumes could affect spawning and nursery grounds, benthic habitats and marine mammals.

They referred to experiences in Norton Sound in Alaska and Bangka-Belitung in Indonesia, where offshore mining activities had been associated with changes to benthic ecosystems and seagrass habitats.

The groups also raised constitutional and human rights concerns, saying access to information, participation in national decision-making, protection of livelihoods and responsible management of natural resources should guide decisions concerning the offshore licences.

The CSOs asked the government to publish the official coordinates, licence instruments, conditions and approved work programmes for all 10 offshore reconnaissance licences.

They also called for an independent spatial assessment showing the relationship between the licensed areas and the IEZ, the Greater Cape Three Points MPA, key fishing grounds, spawning and nursery areas and other sensitive marine habitats and for the government to clarify the legal and environmental approvals required for subsequent activities, particularly vibro-core drilling, bulk sampling and any eventual dredging.

The CSOs said no prospecting licence should be granted and no intrusive seabed activity should proceed without comprehensive environmental, fisheries, socio-economic and human-rights assessments, including consideration of marine mammals and underwater noise, insisting that the Fisheries Commission, relevant ministries and agencies, coastal communities, academia and civil society must be involved in the review process.

It said following the review, the groups wanted the government to transparently determine whether the existing licences should continue unchanged, be modified to exclude sensitive areas or be cancelled where applicable legal grounds and evidence warranted such action.

The CSOs said Ghana’s efforts to expand the IEZ, rebuild fisheries and establish its first MPA should not be undermined by potentially competing extractive activities in shallow coastal waters without first establishing their consequences for fisheries, biodiversity and coastal communities.