Securing coastal waters for small-scale fishers: Lessons from Ghana – POLITICO

Amid continued debate over marine spaces, the question of who leads and shapes action has never been more critical to answer. The European Union’s (EU) Ocean Act presents a crucial opportunity to change the future of Europe’s seas equitably and sustainably, and lessons can be learnt from small-scale fishers thousands of kilometers away in West Africa.

Ghana faces immense economic pressures, and despite access to far less financial and scientific resources than the EU, the government has committed to strong protection of its coastal waters. It extended its Preferential Access Area (PAA) from six to 12 nautical miles, granting exclusive fishing access to local, small-scale fishers while barring destructive vessels, namely trawlers, from coastal waters.

Real-world evidence shows that well-enforced PAAs, where bottom trawling is prohibited, strengthen the resilience of small-scale fleets, accelerate fish stock recovery and protect coastal livelihoods.

Meanwhile, despite its global leadership in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and its repeated commitments to global ocean protection, the EU continues to allow industrial bottom trawlers near-unfettered access to coastal waters. This comes at the direct expense of coastal communities and small-scale fishers who represent the vast majority of Europe’s fishing fleet.