Fishing associations, coastal communities and civil society organisations working on fisheries, coastal livelihoods and environmental protection have called on government to halt the reported offshore gold exploration project and undertake a comprehensive review of the licences.
In an open letter to President John Dramani Mahama dated September 28, 2026, the groups expressed concern over the reported granting of 10 contiguous Offshore Reconnaissance Licences to GoldCoast Resource Corp., covering approximately 10,000 square kilometres of Ghana’s western offshore area and extending about 300 kilometres from Half Assini towards Winneba.
The groups said their concern was not with mineral exploration itself but with the scale of the licensed area, its location within a productive marine environment and the potential implications for artisanal fisheries and coastal livelihoods.
According to them, the marine space supports thousands of artisanal fishers, fish processors, traders and other coastal businesses, while also containing fish habitats, spawning and nursery areas and other ecological systems that support food security.
The organisations acknowledged that a reconnaissance licence should not be confused with a mining lease or authorisation for commercial extraction. However, they said the reported programme includes geophysical surveys, bathymetric and seismic investigations, coring and sediment sampling, while the company has publicly discussed prospecting and the potential for future shallow-water dredging.
They warned that such activities could have implications for the seabed, water quality, fisheries and coastal communities, particularly in the absence of appropriate safeguards and baseline information.
The groups also noted that portions of the licensed area appear to fall within Ghana’s Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ), which under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146), extends from the coastline to 12 nautical miles offshore.
Meanwhile, the Fisheries Commission in a letter dated September 29, 2026, to the Minerals Commission, has also formally protested the grant, demanding suspension of field activities until fisheries, environmental and safety concerns are addressed. The Commission said the documentation was prepared largely from a terrestrial mining perspective, with inadequate consideration for Ghana’s marine environment.
The coalition is therefore asking government to suspend further progression of the project until an independent review examines how the 10 licences were granted, their precise coordinates and boundaries, the technical and economic justification, and the proposed work programme.
Source: http://accessagric.com / Ghana Business News / GNA
