Nice, France – 10th June 2025 Ghana’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture , Hon. Emelia Arthur, has called for global action to expose the hidden profiteers behind crimes at sea, describing maritime criminality as a symptom of systemic opacity that shields true beneficiaries from accountability.
Speaking at a high-level side event organized by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) aboard the German research vessel Meteor during the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice,
Minister Arthur emphasized the need to go beyond targeting vessels and instead focus on the ultimate actors behind illicit maritime activity.
The event, titled “No Safe Harbour: Exposing the True Beneficiaries of Crimes at Sea”, brought together key stakeholders from government, civil society, and the international community to advocate for enhanced transparency in vessel ownership and enforcement mechanisms against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and other maritime crimes. In her compelling address, Minister Arthur stated,
“What we rarely see are the individuals and entities who truly profit from these crimes,corporate entities, private equity funds, and companies that conceal the real owners. These are the hidden beneficiaries of maritime crime.”
She referenced alarming statistics from international organizations, noting that West Africa alone loses up to US$9.4 billion annually due to IUU fishing, while Africa as a continent loses over US$11.5 billion, severely affecting food security, livelihoods, and trust in governance systems.
Minister Arthur also underscored Ghana’s national efforts to address this threat, including reforms to vessel registration systems, ownership disclosures, strengthened port state controls, and intelligence-sharing with international partners.
She challenged private sector actors from seafood importers to insurers to conduct rigorous due diligence and reject opaque and exploitative supply chains. The event featured a distinguished panel of speakers from across the globe:
Hon. Emelia Arthur (Ghana) – Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture
Ms. Charlina Vitcheva (European Commission) – Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Mr. Éric Banel (France) – Director-General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Hon. Neto Zarzar Lighe Sr. (Liberia) – Maritime Commissioner of the Republic of Liberia
Ms. Gisselle Irias (Panama) – Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs
The session was moderated by Mr. Steve Trent, CEO of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), who opened the event with a strong call for international cooperation and urgency in tackling crimes at sea. The event also featured the screening of an EJF documentary film on beneficial ownership, reinforcing the message that secrecy fuels maritime illegality. Hon. Arthur concluded with a rallying call: “There can be no safe harbour for those who profit from crimes at sea. Not in our ports. Not in our markets. Not in our financial systems. The ocean belongs to all of us and protecting it requires exposing those who exploit it from afar.” The “No Safe Harbour” side event served as a significant platform at the UN Ocean Conference, aligning with broader global calls for transparency, equity, and accountability in ocean governance.
source:www.senaradioonline.com
