Ghana’s ocean is not land under water: Why the Fisheries Commission is right to demand a proper assessment of offshore gold exploration

Ghana's Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146), provides the domestic fisheries-assessment dimension, while BBNJ Part IV strengthens the international framework where activities may affect marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.

FROM NATIONAL JURISDICTION TO THE AREA: WHY SPILLOVER MATTERS The distinction between Ghana's continental shelf and the Area makes the environmental question particularly important because, within its continental shelf, Ghana exercises sovereign rights over seabed resources.

BBNJ: WHEN EFFECTS CROSS THE JURISDICTIONAL LINE The BBNJ Agreement principally concerns marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, and it does not displace Ghana's sovereign rights within its EEZ or continental shelf.