Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146)

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Preliminary Provision

1. Application of the Act

Fisheries Commission

2. Establishment of the Fisheries Commission

3. Object of the Commission

4. Functions of the Commission

Governance of the Commission

5. Governing body of the Commission

6. Functions of the Board

7. Duties and liabilities of a member of the Board

8. Tenure of office of members of the Board

9. Meetings of the Board

10. Disclosure of interest

11. Establishment of committees

12. Fisheries Settlement Committee

13. Co-management committees

14. Functions of a co-management committee

15. Procedures of co-management committees

16. Allowances

17. Policy directives

Administrative Provisions

18. Divisions and specialised units of the Commission

19. Regional and district offices of the Commission

20. Appointment of Executive Director

21. Functions of the Executive Director

22. Appointment of Deputy Executive Directors

23. Functions of a Deputy Executive Director

24. Secretary to the Board

25. Appointment of other staff

26. Internal Audit Unit

Financial Provisions

27. Funds of the Commission

28. Exemption from taxes and rates

29. Bank account of the Commission

30. Borrowing powers

31. Accounts and audit

32. Annual report and other reports

Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Fund

33. Establishment of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Fund

34. Objects of the Fund

35. Sources of money for the Fund

36. Bank account of the Fund

37. Management of the Fund

Marine Fisheries Management Plan and Conservation Measures

38. Marine fisheries management plan

39. Marine fisheries reserve

40. Designation of inshore exclusion zone

Inland Fisheries Management Plan and Conservation Measures

41. Inland fisheries management plan

42. Inland fisheries reserve

43. Designation of inland exclusion fishing zone

General Conservation Measures

44. Pollution of fishery waters

45. Fishing for endangered, threatened and protected species

46. Protection of gravid and juvenile lobsters and other juvenile fishes

47. Closed season

48. International conservation and management obligations

49. Prohibition of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing

50. Fisheries Impact Assessment

Importation and Construction of Fishing Vessels

51. Importation of vessel to engage in fishing and fishing-related activities

52. Construction of artisanal or semi-industrial fishing vessel

53. Application for permit to construct artisanal or semi-industrial fishing vessel

54. Grant of permit to construct artisanal or semi-industrial fishing vessel

55. Refusal of permit to construct artisanal or semi-industrial fishing vessel

Licence for Fishing and Fishing-Related Activities

56. Prohibition of fishing or fishing-related activities without a fishing licence

57. Types of fishing licences

58. Qualification for licence to operate Ghanaian fishing vessel

59. Application for licence to operate Ghanaian industrial fishing vessel

60. Application for licence to operate Ghanaian semi-industrial fishing :vessel

61. Application for licence to operate foreign fishing vessel

62. Application for licence to use Ghanaian vessel in fishing-related activities

63. Consideration and grant of fishing licence

64. Refusal of application for fishing licence

65. Suspension, modification or cancellation of fishing licence

66. Validity and renewal of fishing licence

Registration and Licensing of Inland Artisanal Fishing Vessel

67. Prohibition of fishing in inland waters without a licence

68. Validity and renewal of licence to operate inland artisanal fishing vessel

69. Application for licence to operate inland artisanal fishing vessel

70. Grant of licence to operate inland artisanal fishing vessel

71. Suspension, modification or cancellation of licence to operate inland artisanal fishing vessel

Registration and Licensing of Marine Artisanal Fishing Vessel

72. Prohibition of fishing in coastal waters without a licence

73. Application for licence to operate marine artisanal fishing vessel

74. Grant of licence to operate marine artisanal fishing vessel

Act 1146 FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE ACT, 2025

75. Validity and renewal of licence to operate marine artisanal fishing vessel

76. Suspension, modification or cancellation of licence to operate marine artisanal fishing vessel

Record of Licences and Employment of Citizens

77. Register of licences

78. Employment of citizens

Aquaculture Measures

79. Aquaculture development plan

80. Designation of aquaculture development zone

81. Conduct of aquaculture in aquaculture development zone

82. Requirement for registration of aquaculture holding facility

83. Requirement for registration and licensing of commercial aquaculture establishment

84. Qualification to install or operate an aquaculture establishment

85. Application for an aquaculture licence

86. Introduction and transfer of aquatic organisms

87. Monitoring and inspection of aquaculture establishment

88. Report of disease or harmful organism

89. Water monitoring system

90. Import and export of live aquatic organism

91. Fish breeding and seed production

92. Aquaculture waste

93. Escape into the wild

94. Transboundary aquaculture ecosystems

95. Aquaculture record-keeping

96. Penalty for failure to comply with aquaculture requirements

Post-Harvest Management and Trade Activities

97. Registration of fish processing and storage establishment

98. Collaboration on post-harvest activities

99. Prohibition of engaging in importation of fish, fishery product and aquaculture product without permit

100. Qualification for permit to import fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

101. Application for permit to import fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

102. Issue of permit to import fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

103. Conditions for the import of fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

104. Prohibition of engaging in export of fish, fishery product and aquaculture product without permit

105. Qualification for permit to export fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

106. Application for permit to export fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

107. Issue of permit to export fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

108. Conditions for export of fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

109. Validity of permit

110. Marketing of fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

111. Control and traceability of fish, fishery product and aquaculture product

112. Information and records

Monitoring, Control, Surveillance, Compliance and Enforcement Measures

113. Monitoring, control and surveillance

114. Compliance Notice

115. Enforcement of directives of the Commission

116. Authorised officer

117. Functions of an authorised officer

118. Powers of an authorised officer

119. Powers of an authorised officer beyond limits of fishery waters

120. Investigation and enforcement of directives

121. Observer on board a fishing vessel

122. Establishment of Fisheries Enforcement Unit

123. Functions of the Fisheries Enforcement Unit

124. Authorisation for electronic surveillance

125. Dissemination of information from electronic surveillance

126. Compliance with directions of authorised officer

127. Immunity from legal proceedings

Jurisdiction and Evidence

128. Jurisdiction of Court

129. Institution of criminal proceedings

130. Certificate of evidence

131. Validity and procedures for certificate of evidence

132. Certificate as to the location of a vessel

133. Designated device

134. Photographic evidence

135. Admissibility of electronic or digital evidence

136. Presumptions

137. Onus of proof

138. Destruction of evidence

139. Liability of master and an officer of a company

140. Continuing offence

141. Banning order

Release of Seized Goods and Forfeiture of Property

142. Release of seized goods

143. Forfeiture by Court

Administration of Compounding Offences

144. Compounding Offences Committee

145. Functions of the Compounding Offences Committee

146. Compounding of offences

147. Effect of compounding offence

148. Report on compounding offences

Fisheries and Aquaculture Appeals Committee

149. Fisheries and Aquaculture Appeals Committee

150. Tenure of office of members of the Appeals Committee

151. Appeal from decision of the Commission

Offences and Penalties

152. Information or documentation to be true, complete and correct

153. Damage to fishing vessel, gear or other fishing appliance

154. Unlawful import and export of fish, fishery and aquaculture products

155. Unlawful interference with aquaculture establishment

156. Returns for import and export of fish, fishery and aquaculture products

157. Authorisation for transshipment

158. Licence and landing requirements for transshipment and export of tuna

159. Prohibition of licensed fishing vessel from landing fish outside the Republic

160. Possession of prohibited fishing gear

161. General penalty

Miscellaneous Provisions

162. Observation of other laws

163. Insurance coverage

164. Civil proceedings

165. Research vessel

166. Guidelines, directives or notices

167. Collaboration with other authorities

168. Fines and forfeitures

169. Regulations

170. Interpretation

171. Repeal and savings

172. Transitional provisions