World Maritime University The Maritime Commons: Digital Repository of the World Maritime University Articles Library 2019 Exploring the Issue of Maritime Domain Awareness in Ghana M. Agyare Asiamah D. Dalaklis Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.wmu.se/lib_articles Recommended Citation Agyare Asiamah, M. and Dalaklis, D., "Exploring the Issue of Maritime Domain Awareness in Ghana" (2019). Articles. 480. https://commons.wmu.se/lib_articles/480 This Article Open Access is brought to you courtesy of Maritime Commons. Open Access items may be downloaded for non-commercial, fair use academic purposes. No items may be hosted on another server or web site without express written permission from the World Maritime University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Issue 18 1st Issue 2019 ISSN: 2242-441X nmiotc Maritime Interdiction Operations Journal The International Political and Legal Framework for Addressing Hybrid Threats Exploring the Issue of Maritime Domain TRAINING CENTRE TRAINING Awareness in Ghana An introduction to the Security Assessment for Offshore Oil and Gas Installations Combined Cyber and Physical Attacks on NATO MARITIME INTERDICTION OPERATIONAL MARITIME INTERDICTION NATO the Maritime Transportation System 1 C O N T E N T S nmiotc COMMANDANT'S EDITORIAL MARITIME INTERDICTION Editorial by Stelios Kostalas OPERATIONS Commodore GRC (N) JOURNAL 4 Commadant NMIOTC MARITIME SECURITY Director The International Political and Legal Framework for Address- Commodore S. Kostalas GRC (N) 6 ing Hybrid Threats, by Ambassador John H. Bernhard Commandant NMIOTC Exploring the Issue of Maritime Domain Awareness in Ghana by By Michael Agyare Asiamah & Dimitrios Dalaklis 19 Executive Director Captain R. Lapira ITA (N) ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SECURITY Director of Training Support An introduction to the Security Assessment for Offshore Oil 10 and Gas Installations Editor by Professor NikitasNikitakos and Commander P. Batsos GRC (N) Iosif Progoulakis (PHD Candidate) Head of Transformation Section CYBER SECURITY Layout Production Lieutenant JG I. Giannelis GRC (N) Combined Cyber and Physical Attacks on the Journal Assistant Editor Maritime Transportation System 27 by Fred S. Roberts, Dennis Egan, Christie Nelson, RyanWhytlaw CCICADA Center, Rutgers University NMIOTC COURSE & ACTIVITIES 38 The views expressed in this issue reflect the opinions of MWR EVENTS the authors, and do not nec- essarily represent NMIOTC's or NATO’s official positions. 47 All content is subject to Greek HIGH VISIBILITY EVENTS Copyright Legislation. Pictures used from the web are not subject to copyright 50 restrictions. You may send your comments to: NMIOTC TRAINING [email protected] 54 3 MARITIME SECURITY EXPLORING THE ISSUE OF MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS IN GHANA by By Michael Agyare Asiamah & Dimitrios Dalaklis Abstract tools within Ghana’s maritime related under pressure to mitigate pressing agencies and optimize performance problems such as Illegal, Unreported, The analysis in hand is discussing how by establishing a framework of special Unregulated (IUU) fishing, piracy and certain relevant agencies collaborate cooperation and standard operating armed robbery as well as the trafficking in the issue of Maritime Domain procedures applicable to all relevant of drugs and people, and transport of Awareness (MDA) in order to enhance stakeholders. illegal goods by sea (Hoyle, 2015). The safety and security in the (maritime) Republic of Ghana, being the gateway space of Ghana in particular and Introduction to West Africa and a new entrant in the Gulf of Guinea in general. The the production of oil in commercial purpose was to investigate Ghana’s The Gulf of Guinea (GoG) is a rather quantities, has a vested interest in the MDA capabilities, ascertain the current busy shipping area; it connects an developments within the region. As technical and operational capacity and extended number of countries and also a result, there is an important role to to bring to the fore major challenges provides a major source of revenue play in addressing maritime safety and that prevent effective collaboration for oil producing countries along its security issues in the GoG. between those agencies, while coastline. It is located partly in the identifying workable solutions. This North and partly in the South Atlantic Ghana is a littoral State located in research effort further identified the Ocean, along the Western and Central West Africa. The country shares a actions/initiatives required to improve African coasts with 17 coastal and 2 border with Togo to the East, Cote the conduct of maritime safety and/ island states, as illustrated in Figure d’Ivoire to the West, Burkina Faso to or security operations by the law 1. The heavy maritime traffic within the the North and the GoG to the South. enforcement agencies in the country GoG region is associated with safety, Its coastline of 300 nautical miles (nm) under discussion. Conclusively worth security and environmental challenges is stretching from Aflao on the East to highlighting is that it is necessary to to the coastal and island nations. New Town on the West. Because of its increase Ghana’s maritime security With an increasing number of vessels diverse maritime interests, Ghana has capacity by appropriately taking operating in the GoG, regulatory established 12nm of Territorial Waters, advantage of the current MDA available and law enforcement agencies are followed by 12nm of Contiguous 19 discovery of hydrocarbon deposits has created a different economic environment and has become the engine of national progress. Ghana like any other GoG country, is faced with increasing maritime safety and security threats, evident among them being piracy (Dalaklis, 2012). The major threats mostly identified in the maritime domain of Ghana include the following: Environmental. The effect on MARITIME SECURITY the environment of the activities associated with oil production (oil pollution), illegal discharges from ships Zone, resulting in a 200nm Exclusive installations and vessels engaged as well as illegal dumping is enormous Economic Zone (EEZ) (CIA, 2018) in the vibrant fishing industry as well and the necessary attention must be and 350nm Continental Shelf (Daily as tourism and other commercial given. Pollution of the environment by Graphic, 2018), in full accordance with activities have created the need for the exploration/drilling of oil is mainly provision of UNCLOS , as depicted in constant monitoring of the maritime in the form of oil spillage into the sea, Figure 2. Shipping and sea-borne trade area. accidental discharges at sea and the are vital to the economic development This research effort, among other accidental spill process of the oil. of the country with nearly 90% of both things, sought answers to what Finally, the dumping of toxic waste imports and exports carried through Ghana’s policies and priorities on must be included in the complete the sea lines of communication (Shou, MDA are, what Ghana’s current MDA environmental protection equation. Fisheries. The fishing industry in Ghana is threatened with extinction as a result of over-fishing and IUU. Industrial fishing vessels are not allowed to fish in the Inshore Exclusive Zone, which corresponds to areas from the coastline to 6nm seaward or below 30m depth, while artisanal fishing canoes are permitted to fish within those areas. However, many industrial fishing vessels simply defy this provision, resulting in the depletion of the fish resources. Often, IUU fishing Figure 2: Ghana’s maritime boundary fleets illegally scoop-up hundreds of Source: Created by authors, as a modification from Ghanaweb.com millions of dollars’ worth of fish from 2017). capabilities and assessments are, Ghanaian waters, a basic reason why The territorial waters of Ghana abound what challenges the various maritime import restrictions were imposed on in enormous natural resources, stakeholders face in collaboration and Ghana’s fisheries products in 2012 including fisheries, minerals and information sharing, whether adequate and 2013 by the European Union (EU) hydrocarbon deposits. Moreover, training has been given to operators of (MOFAD, 2014). Ghana has become a major maritime the various MDA tools, and how the trading hub for West Africa in recent situation could be improved. Illegal Bunkering/Crude Oil Theft. years (GPHA, 2015). It is indicative Illegal bunkering includes the purchase that since 2010, there has been the 3. Ghana’s Maritime Safety of illegally acquired or refined oil issue of oil production in commercial and Security Threats products mostly at cheaper rates. It quantities, with several explorations is typically acquired from stolen oil still on-going in the western part of Ghana’s maritime domain has changed and the destruction of oil pipelines the EEZ. The protection of the oil significantly in the last decade. The with criminal intent for mischief or for 20 monetary gains. It also involves the Code of Conduct. At the diversion of crude and refined products sub-regional level, there by unauthorized persons at sea. When is the establishment of companies continue to patronise these the Regional Maritime MARITIME SECURITY cheap products, illegal bunkering has Security Centre the tendency to increase criminal for Central Africa activities like piracy and armed robbery (CRESMAC), located in at sea (Akah and Dalaklis, 2017). It is Pointe-Noire, Republic against this backdrop that MT Mammy of the Congo for the Mary and MT Metrix 1 were both ECCAS