Marine Ecosystem
Ghana's marine territorial waters goes beyond the 200 nautical miles of the Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) and provides tremendous marine fishing opportunities as well as oil and gas production.
| Release date | 14/08/2010 |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Kwesi Anderson |
Ghana has about 500km of marine coastline on the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Guinea with immense economic benefits such as fishing and transportation. In recent times the marine waters of Ghana have become important for oil and gas exploration following the discovery of oil deposits in commercial quantities in 2007. The marine territorial waters within the 200 nautical miles of the Economic Exclusion Zone provide tremendous marine fishing opportunities for both local and registered international fishing companies.
About 347 fish species belonging to 82 families have been recorded. There is also evidence available that the coastal waters of the country are being invaded by marine algae, a typical example is Enteromorpha flexuosa, which is believed to have drifted eastwards from areas west of Ghana. (Please see p. 16, NBS).