GMA enforces law governing shipwreck removal

The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has arrested some individuals in the possession of shipwreck parts. 

The metals were seized on the high seas, brought to the shore and confiscated. The arrest was made through GMA’s surveillance.

The authority said removing shipwrecks was a regulated space and persons who sought to operate in that space must obtain authorisation from the authority.

Speaking to journalists in Tema last Thursday, the Director-General of the GMA, Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, explained that the laws governing shipwrecks prohibited the unauthorised removal or possession of artefacts or materials from shipwreck sites.

He said although shipwrecks could be a source of hazard, and for that matter, it might be necessary to have them removed, they were also a source of ecosystem preservation.

Dr Ali said shipwrecks tended to promote the growth of fisheries resources and the marine ecosystem; however, removing the parts required careful regulation.

“There are pros and cons of shipwrecks at sea that is why it is an area that is well regulated.

In this particular instance the people who have removed the shipwrecks have done so without the authorisation of the GMA,” the GMA Director-General said.

Regulation

Dr Ali emphasised the need for regulation to balance the economic benefits derived from such ventures, adding that rather than confiscating the materials, the GMA would discuss the consequences of such activities and their impact on the environment with the culprits and allow them to sign bonds and pay the required penalties.

“We have not prosecuted so far. On a normal basis, these things are supposed to be confiscated to the State, but as a regulatory organisation, we understand the essence of regulation, especially with people who do not have a full spectrum of the information and what they must go through,” he said.

“They will definitely have to sign a bond and pay the requisite penalty for violating the law without necessarily confiscating this, but we want to ensure that going forward, this is a very well regulated area to ensure the safety of the individuals engaged in it, to ensure that they do not endanger their lives,” Dr Ali added.