Parliament has passed the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026, paving the way for a stronger legal regime to combat piracy, armed robbery at sea, vessel hijackings and other maritime crimes, as the government moves to safeguard Ghana’s territorial waters and strengthen the country’s position as a secure maritime hub in the Gulf of Guinea.
Moving the motion for the second reading of the Bill, the Minister for Transport, Joseph Nikpe Bukari, said the legislation was critical to ensuring Ghana fulfils its obligations under international maritime conventions while equipping the country with the legal tools to prosecute offenders operating at sea.
He said Ghana must remain compliant with the international maritime conventions it has signed onto, adding that the passage of the Bill would provide the country with the legal framework needed to effectively investigate and prosecute piracy, armed robbery, hijacking and other maritime-related offences.
Once assented to by the President, the legislation will prohibit piracy, armed robbery at sea and related maritime offences while giving legal effect to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA Convention) and their related protocols.
Presenting the report of Parliament’s Committee on Roads and Transport, Chairman Isaac Adjei Mensah said the Bill establishes a comprehensive legal framework for the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of piracy, armed robbery at sea and other maritime offences.
The committee noted that Ghana’s existing legal framework lacked dedicated provisions to effectively prosecute maritime crimes, creating enforcement and prosecutorial challenges despite the country’s growing maritime importance.
It explained that the legislation aligns Ghana’s criminal laws on piracy with Articles 100 to 105 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, thereby closing legal gaps that have hindered the prosecution of offenders.
According to the committee, maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea—including piracy, vessel hijackings, kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery at sea and destruction of maritime property—continues to pose serious threats to maritime trade, regional stability, economic development and the safety of seafarers.
The report further stated that the new law would reinforce investor confidence, strengthen state port control, protect Ghana’s territorial waters and maritime economy, and empower security agencies to investigate, arrest and prosecute offenders more effectively.
The passage of the Bill comes against the backdrop of recent maritime security incidents in Ghana’s territorial waters. In February 2026, armed attackers robbed scores of artisanal fishermen off the coast of Senya Beraku, making away with outboard motors and leaving dozens stranded at sea before they were rescued by the Ghana Navy and Air Force. Security experts described the incident as a reminder of the evolving threats within Ghana’s maritime domain.
Earlier, in March 2025, suspected pirates boarded the Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel Mengxin 1, raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of commercial vessels operating in Ghanaian waters despite improved regional naval cooperation.
Although piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea have declined significantly in recent years following coordinated naval patrols and regional security initiatives, maritime security experts continue to caution that the region remains susceptible to piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom, underscoring the need for robust legal and enforcement mechanisms.
With the passage of the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026, Ghana is expected to significantly strengthen its capacity to investigate, prosecute and punish maritime crimes while fulfilling its international obligations and enhancing the safety and security of its maritime industry.
By: Christian Kpesese
