Ghana has signed a five-year cooperation agreement with Norway to strengthen the management of its marine and aquatic resources, the Ghanaian Ministry of Finance announced on Monday, 19 October. Norwegian technical support provided under the framework is capped at 100 million Norwegian kroner, subject to the release of parliamentary appropriations.
The agreement covers the Oceans for Development programme and involves the Norwegian government through its development cooperation agency, Norad. It is intended to support the implementation of Ghana's blue economy strategy, which concerns economic activities linked to aquatic resources.
The stated objectives include better enforcement of fishing and environmental protection rules, as well as combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The programme also aims at food security and the incomes of populations that depend on these resources, according to the ministry.
The new agreement extends a cooperation that was notably built on the Fish for Development programme. The Ghanaian ministry responsible for fisheries had announced the closure of that previous scheme in June 2026, after seven years of implementation. The new cooperation will remain in force for five years from the date of the last signature, according to the Ministry of Finance.