The Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle and Chairperson of Parliament’s Security and Intelligence Committee, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has urged the government to undertake urgent legal and security reforms to effectively combat maritime crime and protect Ghana’s territorial waters.
Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Dr. Zanetor cautioned that the growing threat of piracy and other maritime offences in the Gulf of Guinea poses serious national security and economic risks to Ghana.
“I rise today to draw the attention of this august House to the growing threat posed by piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea, the urgent need to strengthen our maritime domain awareness, and the critical importance of reforming legislation and institutional coordination in protecting Ghana’s territorial waters and strategic interests, including the blue economy,” she stated.
She noted that despite Ghana’s leadership role in regional maritime security — particularly under Zone F of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, which includes Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Burkina Faso — the country’s domestic legal and institutional frameworks remain inadequate to address the complex and transnational nature of maritime crime.
“Ghana has still not completely domesticated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is the principal international legal framework for maritime governance,” she said, pointing out that the current definition of piracy under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) is inconsistent with Article 101 of UNCLOS.
Dr. Zanetor lamented that the lack of a stand-alone maritime offences law hampers Ghana’s ability to prosecute piracy and related crimes, saying, “The absence of a comprehensive legal framework not only limits our capacity to respond swiftly and effectively but also undermines our commitments under international law.”
She identified key threats to Ghana’s maritime domain, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, environmental crimes, biodiversity loss, and the impact of climate change. According to her, “Maritime crimes are often transnational and require harmonised legal responses across jurisdictions. Without domestication of UNCLOS and other relevant instruments, Ghana remains vulnerable.”
Dr. Zanetor also highlighted the economic implications of maritime insecurity, noting that high-risk classification of the Gulf of Guinea has driven up insurance costs for vessels operating in the region. “Because our maritime corridor is considered a high-risk zone, shipping companies are charged higher insurance rates. These costs are ultimately transferred to Ghanaian consumers in the form of higher prices for imported goods,” she explained.
“In other words, the insecurity in our waters is quietly taxing every household in Ghana,” she stressed. “If we are serious about improving our economy and protecting our borders, we must be equally serious about maritime security.”
The MP further underscored the need to connect maritime security frameworks such as the Yaoundé Code of Conduct with local fishing communities. “There is a pressing need for greater inclusion, awareness creation, and sensitisation at the grassroots level,” she said. “Maritime domain awareness must not be limited to the corridors of power or the security sector alone; it must extend to coastal communities who are both stakeholders and, unfortunately, sometimes vulnerable to recruitment by criminal networks.”
She warned that maritime crime has deep connections to transnational threats like terrorism and organized crime. “Maritime security is not just a naval issue; it is a national security issue,” she emphasized.
Dr. Zanetor made several key recommendations, including an urgent passage of a new maritime offences law to align Ghana’s legal framework with UNCLOS and global best practices.
“I urge the Honourable Minister for Transport, in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments, or Agencies, to submit to this House a Bill that will repeal and replace our outdated piracy laws,” she said, adding that Cabinet has already approved for the Bill to be laid.
In addition, she urged the government for an establishment of a dedicated maritime security fund, financed through a portion of port charges, to support enforcement, surveillance, and community engagement, as well integration of coastal communities into the national maritime security strategy through training programmes, community reporting systems, and economic empowerment for vulnerable coastal youth.
The Klottey Korle lawmaker also called for public awareness campaigns on the dangers of maritime crime and the importance of legal and sustainable fishing practices.
In addition to the implementation of the National Integrated Maritime Strategy (NIMS) and its accompanying action plan to strengthen maritime governance.
Dr. Zanetor however, called for bipartisan action in Parliament to safeguard Ghana’s maritime future.
“The time has come for Parliament to take leadership in this area. Let us prioritise the necessary legal reforms and work across the aisle to protect Ghana’s economic interests, territorial integrity, and the safety of our people,” she urged.
“Our maritime domain is not just a frontier. It is a source of trade, energy, nutrition, and sovereignty. If we are to secure Ghana’s future, we must secure our seas,” she declared.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com