Salt Pond’s $200m warning: Why Ghana cannot afford to exclude Fisheries Commission from future decommissioning

Ghana learned a costly lesson in 2018 when it decommissioned its first oil rig, the Mr. Louie platform, without consulting its Fisheries Commission. The $200 million spent on cleanup was a stark reminder that the sea cannot be restored without those who know its complexities. As Ghana prepares for a massive decommissioning bill of $704 million for the Jubilee oil field, plus TEN and Sankofa, the Saltpond story serves as a warning that cannot be ignored.

During decommissioning, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) followed the proper legal procedures, obtaining necessary permits and hiring engineers to restore the marine ecosystem. However, they failed to involve the Fisheries Commission, which led to several critical shortcomings:

1. No biological baseline: The Fisheries Commission did not conduct a fisheries stock assessment, leaving no records of the fish species present, their breeding habits, or sediment conditions necessary for recovery.

2. Afterthought to fishermen: The restricted zone was declared, but artisanal fishers were informed late, leaving nets to snag on wellheads and causing complaints of "oily fish" without proper monitoring from the Fisheries Commission.

3. Booming bill: The initial $200 million cleanup cost has now ballooned to near $200 million, with additional spending on contaminated sediments, unplugged wells, and unstable seabed issues. The Fisheries Commission's expertise was crucial in identifying these problems early on.

Looking ahead, future decommissioning projects, such as Jubilee, TEN, and Sankofa, will be significantly more expensive. With $704 million allocated for Jubilee alone in a Decommissioning Trust Fund, the engineering plan is to cut, lift, and dispose. However, these projects require fisheries expertise to determine the best course of action:

1. Biological Clearance Certificate: The Fisheries Commission must provide a certificate certifying the restoration of fish habitat and water quality, protecting Ghana from potential EU export bans if decommissioning fails to meet environmental standards.

2. Fisheries Impact Overlay Map: The Fisheries Commission must create a map of critical fish habitats and overlay decommissioning plans, declaring No-Go periods for seabed disturbance during critical spawning seasons.

3. Community Compliance Bridge: Formally integrating Chief Fishermen and Queen Fishmongers into co-management allows them to ensure safety, reduce piracy of decommissioning equipment, and prevent conflicts with decommissioning activities.

In summary, Ghana must learn from the Saltpond experience and include the Fisheries Commission in all future decommissioning projects. By doing so, the country can avoid costly mistakes, protect its marine resources, and create new opportunities for fishing communities.