The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), in collaboration with its Jubilee and TEN partners, has expanded its community engagement campaign to key fishing communities in the Central Region.
The initiative forms part of a broader strategic effort to enhance offshore safety awareness, foster local cooperation, and prevent encroachments into critical oil and gas zones.
“We are here because safe operations offshore are in everyone’s interest—whether you are an oil engineer or a fisherman.
“Disruptions to FPSO operations could cost the country millions of dollars in lost revenue. These are funds that support schools, hospitals, and roads, including right here in the Central Region.”
Ms. Patience Lartey, GNPC’s Manager for Social Performance and Local Content
The outreach programme targeted fishing hubs such as Elmina, Komenda, and Winneba, where canoe incursions into restricted offshore zones have increased significantly.
Between January and May 2025 alone, there were 159 recorded incursions within the 10,000-meter Advisory Zone and 32 breaches in the highly sensitive 500-meter Exclusive Zone surrounding the Jubilee and TEN fields.
The stakeholder sessions are part of GNPC’s broader commitment to responsible resource management and proactive community engagement.
The sessions aimed to sensitize fishermen and canoe owners about the Ghana Shipping (Protection of Offshore Operations and Assets) Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2010), which demarcates Exclusive and Advisory Zones to ensure safe oil and gas operations.
“Unauthorized entry into these zones is not just illegal—it’s dangerous.
“The safety of our workers, your lives at sea, and our national energy infrastructure are all at stake.”
Ms. Patience Lartey, GNPC’s Manager for Social Performance and Local Content
The Central Region outreach marks a deliberate expansion of the Jubilee and TEN Partners’ stakeholder engagement strategy, which has historically been focused in the Western Region.
The decision to include communities from the Central Region follows an uptick in long-distance fishing trips that frequently bring local fishermen into close proximity with offshore oil installations.
Marine Police Reinforce Legal Implications
The outreach event also featured active participation from the Ghana Marine Police, who underscored the legal consequences of violating maritime safety protocols.
Presenting visual evidence of canoe incursions, Inspector Opambour warned that some perpetrators have already been identified and added to the Marine Police’s wanted list.
“It is critical that the fishing communities understand we are not out to punish but to protect. “These laws exist to prevent accidents, protect your lives, and secure national assets.”
Inspector Opambour
He added that the Police Service remains open to working with local leadership to avoid unnecessary confrontations, urging fishermen to use established grievance redress channels rather than take risks at sea.
Representatives from the Canoe Council and community leadership expressed gratitude to GNPC and its partners for bringing the information directly to them.
They acknowledged the importance of understanding offshore operations and promised to support the education campaign within their communities.
The outreach also reinforced the grievance redress procedures in place for community members to raise concerns or incidents related to offshore operations. These protocols, GNPC says, are vital for maintaining open and transparent relationships with coastal stakeholders.
The sessions in the Central Region are part of an ongoing campaign dubbed “Safe Sea, Sustained Livelihoods,” led by GNPC in partnership with Tullow Ghana, Kosmos Energy, PetroSA, and Explorco.
The initiative also involves regulatory and enforcement bodies, including the Petroleum Commission, Ghana Maritime Authority, EPA, and the Fisheries Commission.
The partners have emphasized that sustained dialogue and mutual respect are critical to long-term co-existence between Ghana’s oil and gas sector and its traditional fishing communities.
“We are not just looking to extract oil we are here to build partnerships that uplift communities.
“This means protecting the sea, preserving livelihoods, and ensuring everyone returns safely from the ocean each day.”
Ms. Patience Lartey, GNPC’s Manager for Social Performance and Local Content
As GNPC and its partners continue to expand these outreach activities along Ghana’s coast, they hope to foster a culture of shared responsibility ensuring that offshore operations are not only productive but also inclusive and sustainable.
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