West Africa’s oceans, especially off the coasts of Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire, are among the most productive in the world. They provide more than 100 million people with food, jobs, and a deep sense of cultural identity. In Ghana, for example, fish account for around 60% of the population’s protein intake.
But this vital resource is under growing threat.
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West Africa has become a global hot spot for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Weak oversight and poor enforcement have turned parts of our waters into what some have dubbed a “poachers’ paradise,” where foreign industrial fleets exploit our marine resources with little accountability.
The consequences are staggering. Illegal fishing depletes fish populations, undermines conservation efforts, distorts markets, and deprives coastal communities of the fish they depend on for both nutrition and income. In some parts of West Africa, illegal fishing accounts for a significant share of total catch, potentially costing coastal economies billions of dollars each year.
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Complex ownership structures make it difficult to know who is truly benefitting from this overfishing. What is clear, however, is who is not: the African communities whose waters are being plundered.
A closer look reveals that much of the pressure on West Africa’s fisheries is driven by foreign-owned industrial fleets. And the country displayed on a vessel’s flag rarely tells the full story. Often, the ultimate beneficiaries lie far beyond the region.
Industrial vessels linked to European, Chinese, Russian, and Turkish companies, among others, have been linked to unsustainable and destructive fishing practices. Bad actors not only contribute to the depletion of key fish populations but also steal these critical resources from artisanal fishers and their families.
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One of the clearest examples of this imbalance is the growing demand for fishmeal and fish oil.
Small pelagic fish such as sardinella, anchovies, and mackerel are among the most important and affordable sources of protein for West African families. Yet increasingly, these fish are diverted away from local food systems and reduced into feed for industrial aquaculture.
In 2020 alone, up to 144,000 tons of small pelagic fish from West Africa were used to produce feed for Norwegian salmon farming. That same volume of fish could have provided between 2.5 million and 4 million people in the region with a year’s supply of fish sufficient to meet their nutritional needs.
The impacts extend far beyond the water. When fishers return with empty nets, entire local economies begin to unravel. Declining catches means reduced income and access to food for already vulnerable small-scale fishers, processors, and traders.
As fish populations decline, people are also forced to seek opportunities elsewhere. We are seeing increased forced migration to Europe along one of the world’s most deadly migration routes. Many never reach their destination. In 2023 alone, more than 3,000 people died attempting to make this journey. Behind these numbers are communities pushed to the brink when the ocean can no longer sustain them.
The upcoming Our Ocean Conference, the first to be held on African soil, offers a critical opportunity for leadership.
African governments must take a stand and manage their marine resources in a way that prioritizes their people. After all, artisanal fishers should have priority access to the waters they have depended on for generations. Governments must strengthen enforcement to curb illegal fishing, improve transparency in vessel ownership, and ensure that fisheries policies serve local communities rather than foreign, industrial interests.
There are already encouraging signs of progress. Countries across West Africa are demonstrating a growing commitment to transparency. Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are actively working with the Fisheries Transparency Initiative. Ghana and Liberia have endorsed the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency.
My home country, Ghana has also taken important steps to protect its nearshore waters for artisanal fishers. The updated Fisheries and Aquaculture Act lays the foundation for an expanded Inshore Exclusion Zone from 6 to 12 nautical miles off the coast where industrial and destructive fishing is prohibited. Ghana has also recently established its first marine protected area at Cape Three Points.
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This is encouraging progress, but more needs to be done.
With stronger leadership, greater transparency, and meaningful accountability, governments can reverse current trends. They can rebuild fish stocks, restore livelihoods, and ensure that our waters continue to nourish future generations.
West Africa’s oceans must sustain the people who depend on them, not fuel a system that leaves them behind.
About the Author:
Sonia Kwami, Vice President, Oceana in Ghana
Sonia Kwami is an experienced campaigner, movement builder, and development leader with over 22 years of experience advancing social, economic, environmental, and climate justice. Based in Ghana, Kwami has led campaigns across Africa and globally in diverse issues including climate justice, gender justice, education health, and poverty eradication. She has worked closely across advocacy networks in more than 60 countries, with a particular focus on the Global South. She has deep expertise in strategic ‘eadership, local start-ups, advocacy and campaigns, partnerships retwork building and program management
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