It has been argued that, on paper, the licences for these trawlers are held by Ghanaian companies and they fly the Ghanaian flag, therefore this is legitimate business. We found that Chinese corporations are operating through front companies in Ghana, using them to register their vessels and obtain licences to fish. This has resulted in a situation whereby Ghana now has the largest registry of Chinese distant water fishing vessels outside of China. The Chinese corporations are involved in the export of catches from these vessels to China and other markets such as the European Union. Once ownership is clear, sanctions – that are severe enough to be truly deterrent – must be enforced for any illegal fishing.
