Ghana and other coastal countries in West Africa are continuously threatened by the adverse effects of IUU fishing in the region. IUU fishing poses an enormous threat to the conservation and management of the dwindling fish stocks, causing multiple adverse consequences for fisheries, coastal and marine ecosystems and for the people who depend on these resources. There has been excessive use of unauthorized fishing implements and illegal fishing activities such as small mesh size, light fishing, unauthorized pair trawling, transhipment, to name just a few, which have significantly contributed to the overfishing of the fish stocks.
However, there is now a growing desire to reverse these negative impacts of human activities. Coastal states in the region do recognize the huge benefits from the fisheries sector through trade in fishery products, employment and food security, and are collectively adopting innovative technologies to better manage the marine environment and its resources.