Expert advocates national maritime policy on blue economy

Dr Kofi Mbiah, a former Chief Executive of the Ghana Shippers Authority, has called for a national maritime policy to provide direction for the country as it strategises to benefit from the blue economy.He said such a policy should be backed by political will and underpinned by the component of local content, research, and digitisation.Dr Mbiah was speaking at the Shipping Conference Series 2024 on the topic, 'Harnessing the potential of the blue economy through public and private sector collaboration.'The conference was organised by the Ghana Chamber of Shipping on the theme, 'Blue economy: Local Private Sector Participation in the Maritime Space.'According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the 'sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem.'The European Commission defines it as 'all economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts that cover a wide range of interlinked established and emerging sector s.'The Maritime Law Consultant observed that Ghana, like many other developing economies, was yet to tap into its full potential as far as the blue economy was concerned.'We can get oil and gas, and, therefore, hydrocarbons, renewable offshore energies, even seabed mining, we haven't gone there. We haven't gone to things like polymetallic nodules, etc.'For a lot of developing economies, we are only satisfied that we can navigate the oceans. We are satisfied that we can get fish from the ocean. We are satisfied that there is oil and gas there that we can take,' he observed.Mr Frederick Obeng Adom, Deputy Minister of Transport, said Ghana's position on the West African coast provided an advantageous gateway for international shipping and trade.He said the government recognised the maritime shipping and logistics sector as having a significant role to play in the socio-economic development of the country hence the continued investment in infrastructure and state of the art technology in the sector.S ource: Ghana News Agency