Oil and Fisheries in Ghana: Prospects for a Socio-ecological Compact

This research paper examines the intersection of Ghana's emerging offshore oil and gas sector and its artisanal fisheries. It argues that while the oil sector has created specific tensions—particularly regarding exclusion zones and maritime safety—the primary threats to the sustainability of Ghana's fisheries are fleet overcapacity, illegal fishing practices, and environmental stressors. The author advocates for a shift from merely minimizing oil-sector impacts toward a constructive 'socio-ecological compact' and integrated maritime governance to support the long-term viability of artisanal fishing.

• The artisanal fishery sector is the most significant part of Ghana's fisheries in terms of employment and total catch, with 10,000–12,000 canoes accounting for 60–70% of the total marine fisheries catch.
• Ghana's fisheries are facing a decline in sustainability driven by fleet overcapacity and the use of illegal gears, such as nylon nets and 'light fishing', rather than the emergence of the oil sector.
• The establishment of safety exclusion zones around oil structures, specifically 500m around mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) and 1,000m around floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, is a major point of conflict between oil companies and artisanal fishers.
• Despite strong governance indicators and the establishment of the Petroleum Commission and the Petroleum Revenue Management Act in 2011, Ghana has struggled with fiscal management, seeing public debt to GDP ratios rise from 31% in 2007 to 72% by June 2015.
• Effective fisheries management in Ghana is hindered by a lack of marine protected areas and inadequate monitoring and enforcement, with illegal nets frequently observed even in urban landing sites.
• The Ghanaian government has attempted to integrate maritime governance through the 2015 establishment of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee and the Coastal and Marine Coordinating Secretariat to coordinate across various ministries.

APA

Benkenstein, A. (2016). Oil and Fisheries in Ghana: Prospects for a Socio-ecological Compact. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Occasional-Paper-239.pdf

Chicago

Benkenstein, Alex. Oil and Fisheries in Ghana: Prospects for a Socio-ecological Compact. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2016. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Occasional-Paper-239.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Benkenstein |first1=Alex |title=Oil and Fisheries in Ghana: Prospects for a Socio-ecological Compact |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=September 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Occasional-Paper-239.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{benkenstein2016oil, author = {Benkenstein, Alex}, title = {{Oil and Fisheries in Ghana: Prospects for a Socio-ecological Compact}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Occasional-Paper-239.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }