A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to urgently review 10 offshore gold reconnaissance licences held by Gold Coast Resource Corp., citing concerns over Ghana’s fisheries, marine environment and coastal livelihoods.
The organisations said the licences cover about 10,000 square kilometres along 300 kilometres of Ghana’s coastline, from Half Assini to Winneba, extending about 33 kilometres offshore.
In a letter addressed to President Mahama dated September 28, 2026, the CSOs said the company’s published map appeared to show that substantial portions of the licensed area fell within Ghana’s Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ).
They stressed, however, that the precise overlap could only be established after government published the official cadastral coordinates and licence instruments.
The coalition includes the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Centre for Maritime Law and Security Africa (CEMLAWS Africa), Hen Mpoano, OCEANA, Friends of the Nation, Oxfam and A Rocha Ghana.
The CSOs said they were not opposed to responsible investment or lawful exploitation of Ghana’s natural resources, but wanted the legal, environmental and social implications established before the project moved to more intrusive stages.
Legal concerns
According to the letter, company disclosures indicate that about 50,000 line-kilometres of airborne magnetic data have been collected across the licensed area, while detailed work has focused on a 500-square-kilometre priority area around the mouth of the Ankobra River.
The organisations said the company’s forward programme included marine bathymetric and seismic surveys, followed by vibro-core drilling and bulk seabed sampling. They argued that the proposed activities raised questions under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended.
The CSOs cited Section 32(3), which they said prohibits reconnaissance licence holders from drilling or excavating. They therefore questioned whether vibro-coring, bulk seabed sampling and dredging could properly be treated as reconnaissance activities.
They also cited Section 99(6) of Act 703, which they said makes it an offence to use a floating platform or other equipment for mining or dredging to obtain minerals in Ghana’s natural water bodies, including the territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
The organisations urged government to clarify how the proposed activities could lawfully proceed.
They noted that the company had acknowledged that no mineral resource or reserve, or economic viability had yet been established.
Fisheries concerns
The coalition said the project must also be assessed against the importance of Ghana’s marine fisheries.
It cited the Marine Fisheries Management Plan 2022–2026, which estimates that the fisheries subsector provides employment for about 10 per cent of Ghana’s population, or more than three million people.
The CSOs also cited the Fisheries Commission’s 2025 Annual Performance Report, which recorded 282,658.29 metric tonnes of artisanal fish landings, representing 63.68 per cent of total fish landings.
They argued that the IEZ, the Marine Fisheries Management Plan and the 703.86-square-kilometre Greater Cape Three Points Marine Protected Area should be considered when decisions are made about mineral activities in the same waters.
The organisations warned that seismic surveys, increased vessel traffic, seabed disturbance and sediment plumes could potentially affect spawning and nursery grounds, benthic habitats and marine mammals.
They cited international examples from Alaska and Indonesia, while acknowledging that those cases did not establish that identical impacts would occur in Ghana. They said the examples demonstrated the need for site-specific studies, independent monitoring and enforceable mitigation measures.
Five demands
The coalition wants government to publish the coordinates, licence instruments, conditions and approved work programmes for all 10 licences.
It also wants an independent spatial assessment of the relationship between the licences and the 12-nautical-mile IEZ, the Greater Cape Three Points Marine Protected Area, fishing grounds, spawning and nursery areas and other sensitive marine habitats.
The CSOs further want government to clarify the legal and environmental approvals required for subsequent phases, particularly vibro-core drilling, bulk sampling and any dredging.
They are also demanding comprehensive environmental, fisheries, socio-economic and human-rights assessments before any intrusive seabed activity is authorised.
Finally, they want government, after the review, to determine transparently whether the licences should remain unchanged, be modified to exclude sensitive areas or be cancelled where legally justified.
The coalition said extractive activities in Ghana’s shallow coastal waters should be subjected to transparent scientific and legal scrutiny before they proceed.
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