Chinese ambassador to Ghana Sun Bao Hong promised to “coordinate” with Ghana’s national government to provide information on Chinese vessels fishing in the West African country’s territorial waters during a meeting with Ghana’s Minster for Fisheries and Aquatic Development Hanny Sherry Ayittey.
Ambassador Sun promised an “efficient dialogue” between the Chinese embassy, fishing companies and Ghanaian authorities in the meeting, and discussed plans to develop a modern fishing port in Ghana, according to a Chinese statement on the meeting. Sun said she hoped the two countries could “coordinate policies” and establish a dispute-resolution mechanism in fisheries, the statement said.
The meeting comes on the heels of Ayittey’s recent public statement to national media alleging that her country is losing USD 30 million (EUR 27.3 million) per year in taxes and other duties owed by foreign fishing companies in local waters.
Ayittey has promised a crackdown on what she’s claimed is a common practice of “transhipment,” whereby foreign vessels transfer catches onto Ghanaian vessels at sea, which in turn land them tax-free at port as domestic catch. China has been able to ink fisheries access deals with African states due to its position as a provider of commodities-linked credit lines to local governments. Weaker demand for commodities in China in the past two years has impacted African economies.
