The Fisheries Commission has lodged a formal protest against an offshore reconnaissance licence granted to Gold Coast GRC Ghana Ltd to explore for gold across about 10,000 square kilometres of Ghana’s shallow continental shelf, and wants the licence suspended until marine and fisheries impacts are properly assessed.
In a letter dated Tuesday, September 29, 2026, addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, the Commission said the licence documents were “prepared from a purely land-based mining perspective without regard for fisheries and the marine environment.”
The Commission, led by Executive Director Prof. Benjamin Betey Campion, said it was not involved in the assessment or permitting of the licence, even though the concession lies entirely at sea. It said it received the relevant communication, dated July 15, 2026, only on September 7, 2026.
The objection comes a day after 11 civil society organisations petitioned President John Dramani Mahama over the same offshore gold exploration in Ghana’s inshore waters.
Fisheries Commission cites flaws in offshore gold exploration licence
The Commission listed ten flaws in the licence and its supporting documents. It said some provisions refer to land-based activities such as hunting game and gathering firewood, which have no relevance to ocean operations.
It also said there was no assessment of customary marine rights or the impact on fishing grounds, and that the environmental baseline relied on land-based measures instead of marine data such as bathymetry, oceanography and marine habitats.
According to the Commission, the budget for the work does not include a Fisheries Impact Assessment, and the marine safety and risk protocols are inadequate.
Nine demands to the Minerals Commission
The Fisheries Commission asked the Minerals Commission to:
- Formally register its objection over the inadequacy of the licence documents.
- Suspend, or refrain from authorising, reconnaissance work until the deficiencies are fixed.
- Require a marine-specific environmental and fisheries baseline assessment.
- Require a Fisheries Impact Assessment under Section 50 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025.
- Require formal consultation with the Fisheries Commission, fishing communities, fisher organisations and researchers.
- Require a Marine Fisheries and Livelihood Management Plan.
- Require a marine-specific Health, Safety and Emergency Response Plan.
- Review the licence conditions to reflect marine realities.
- Set up an inter-agency review mechanism.
How big is the offshore gold concession?
In January 2026, GoldCoast Resource Corp. announced it had been granted a 10,000 km² offshore reconnaissance licence by the Government of Ghana and the Minerals Commission. The company said the area covers about 300 kilometres of coastline from Half Assini eastward to Winneba.
The licence has an initial 12-month term, with an option to renew for another 12 months. Planned work includes airborne magnetic surveys, seaborne seismic and bathymetric surveys, and sediment sampling.
- Licensed area: about 10,000 km²
- Coastline covered: about 300 km, Half Assini to Winneba
- Offshore reach: about 33 km (per the CSOs’ petition)
- Inshore Exclusion Zone: 12 nautical miles (about 22 km) from the coast
- Licence term: 12 months, renewable for 12 more
Civil society groups raise the same concerns
On September 28, 2026, 11 groups — including the Environmental Justice Foundation, CEMLAWS Africa, Hen Mpoano, Oceana, Friends of the Nation, A Rocha Ghana and Oxfam — petitioned President Mahama over the licences.
They asked government to publish the official coordinates and licence instruments for all ten licences they say the company holds, and to commission an independent map showing where the licences sit relative to the Inshore Exclusion Zone and fishing grounds.
The groups also want clarity on approvals for any drilling and sampling phases, and a transparent decision on whether the licences should continue, be modified or be cancelled.
What offshore gold exploration means for fishing communities
According to the CSOs, about 10% of Ghana’s population — more than 3 million people — depend on fisheries. They put the number of marine artisanal fishers at 110,351.
Artisanal canoes landed 282,658.29 metric tonnes of fish in 2025, or 63.68% of total landings, the groups said. Much of that fishing happens in the inshore waters now covered by the licence.
The debate adds to government’s recent push on ocean governance, including Ghana’s plan to protect the ocean and expand blue economy opportunities. Ghana ratified the BBNJ (High Seas) Agreement in January 2026.
What happens next
The Minerals Commission is yet to publicly respond to the Fisheries Commission’s letter. The petition to the President is also awaiting a response.
Any decision to suspend, review or keep the licence will be closely watched by fishing communities along the western and central coast.
Key details at a glance
- The Fisheries Commission filed a formal protest on September 29, 2026.
- The licence was granted to Gold Coast GRC Ghana Ltd for about 10,000 km² offshore.
- The area stretches roughly 300 km, from Half Assini to Winneba.
- The Commission cited ten flaws and made nine demands, including suspension.
- It wants a Fisheries Impact Assessment under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025.
- 11 CSOs petitioned President Mahama on the same issue on September 28.
FAQs
Why is the Fisheries Commission against offshore gold exploration in Ghana?
It says the licence was prepared from a land-based mining perspective, ignored fisheries and marine impacts, and was issued without consulting the Commission or fishing communities.
Where is the offshore gold exploration area in Ghana?
The concession covers about 10,000 km² of Ghana’s western shallow continental shelf, stretching about 300 km of coastline from Half Assini to Winneba.
Has the offshore gold licence been suspended?
No. The Fisheries Commission has asked the Minerals Commission to suspend it, but no public decision has been announced.
The Fisheries Commission’s formal objection puts a state agency alongside civil society groups in questioning the offshore gold exploration licence, raising pressure on the Minerals Commission and government to review how the 10,000 km² concession was approved and what it means for Ghana’s fishing communities.
