Ghana’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development told the BBC’s Newsday program that all fishing vessels operating in its waters will be required to install electronic monitors.
“The electronic monitoring system will have cameras, and we have tied this to the vessel’s licensing to go fishing,” Mavis Hawa Koomson explained.
She stated that the monitoring will not only track the vessels but will also allow authorities to deal with claims of abuse of Ghanaian workers by Chinese vessel operators via attached cameras.
The move comes after Ghana pledged at the One Ocean conference in Panama City to ensure 100% electronic monitoring of its industrial fisheries.
It is hoped that the new policy will assist Ghana in better managing its marine resources.
