He said the boats would be received by the end of September, 2018 to help move the country beyond the era of undertaking monitoring and enhancement directives from offices to the water and ensuring that vessels complied with the regulations of the GMA.

Mr Owusu said the socio-economic potential of every nation did not depend only on the resources of the land, but in the ability to harness the potential of the maritime domain.

He said “the seaports of the country had contributed substantially to government revenue, while the burgeoning offshore oil and gas industry as well as its resultant revenue is used to fund major developmental requirement of the nation”.

He also mentioned that the fisheries sector had been a major contributor to employment and a source of nutrition to all; however its revenues were not managed by the Authority hence the GMA would address the situation through the introduction of Cabotage Regulations.

During the opening ceremony of the second Maritime Regulation and Enforcement training, the Director General of the GMA said the Authority was putting in place effective policies, laws and regulations to ensure that activities in the maritime space were carried out in compliance with established international standards.

Mr Kamal-Deen Ali, the Executive Director, Centre for Maritime Law and Security Africa said the Maritime training would build capacity across the oceanic industry to create a good understanding on issues related to the sea.

He said the laws of the sea dealt with legal frameworks that regulated the maritime space to ensure that jurisdictions at sea could be exercised effectively.

He added that if 97 per cent of the earth was filled with water, then the ocean covered about three-quarters of the planet; providing oxygen and ensuring atmospheric or climate balance.

Mr Ali encouraged all to protect the ocean in their individual capacities and collectively as a nation because the sea  was important and critical to human survival.

The training saw participants from key government agencies including the GMA, the Ghana police Service, the Marine Police, Ghana Ports and Harbour authorities, National Petroleum Authorities as well as participants from the Environmental Protection Agency.