Impact of offshore petroleum extraction and “ocean grabbing” on small-scale fisheries and coastal livelihoods in Ghana
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Date
2023
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Maritime Studies
Abstract
In recent years, there has been increasing scholarly attention to the relationship between offshore
oil extraction and the well-being of communities along the coast whose livelihoods directly depend
on the ocean. In this paper, we show how offshore petroleum extraction activities, associated ocean
space regulations, and fishery conservation discourses lead to “ocean grabbing” in Ghana. Based
on interviews with fisherfolk, government officials, environmental NGOs, and officials from the
petroleum industry in Ghana, we address the above issues using Harvey’s framework of
“accumulation by dispossession.” The offshore petroleum industry and fisheries utilize different
resources. Fishers catch fish from the waters, whereas petroleum companies extract petroleum
products from the seabed. Hence, the claim of dispossession often made by fishers is largely
contested by petroleum corporations and state institutions. However, due to their spatial
coexistence, user rights claims, tensions, and conflicts over facts, opposing interests, and values
persist. In these contestations, there exists clear power inequity between fisherfolk and oil
companies, with isolated cases of violence and punishment of fishers for flouting marine
regulations. This paper calls for institutional strengthening to resolve the impending tensions and
address the growing imbalance in the power relations among the different marine resource users
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Offshore petroleum extraction, Ocean grabbing, Small−scale fisheries, Ghana
Citation
Owusu, V., Lawer, E.T., Adjei, M. et al. Impact of offshore petroleum extraction and “ocean grabbing” on small-scale fisheries and coastal livelihoods in Ghana. Maritime Studies 22, 17 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40152-023-00307-3