He said the Gulf was currently afflicted with many illicit activities and insecurities and this has affected its blue economy potential.

He said activities which include piracy, smuggling, kidnapping, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities on the Gulf of Guinea hugely undermines its blue economy potential.

He said this when the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (FoGG) took a sea trip on the French Naval Ship 'Somme' along the Ghanaian coastlines to observe a live sea demonstration of how distressed or attacked shipping vessels and crew were rescued from attacks by pirates.

Somme a thirty-year old naval ship of about 16000 tons in weight is an auxiliary or supply ship which replenishes distressed ships with food, water, fuel and other logistics on the high sea.

She moves together with surveillance frigates, patrol ships and maritime patrol planes to ensure safety in the gulf.

The Deputy Minister said the peace enjoyed over the seas of the Ghanaian Maritime space was due to collective hard work the Ghana Navy.

Mrs Genevieve Darrieussecq, Secretary of State to the Minister for the Armed Forces, France, said that this year's G7++ FoGG meeting of which she was a co-chair was to build ongoing efforts with the objective of deepening the opportunities of working together to enhance maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

She said they found it important to save the Gulf of Guinea from activities which threatens trade along its routes because the region has great potential in oil and gas, sea food and serves as a resourceful route for export and imports, connecting multiple continents.

She said illegal fishing activities pose a threat to food security of millions across the region and a potential cause of cross border conflict amongst fishing communities.

Vice Admiral Jean-Louis Lozier, Commander of the Atlantic Maritime Zone, French Navy, said pirate threats over the past six years have been stabilized.

He said most navies within the sub-region have been trained to fight such activities through the Navy Exercise for Maritime Operations (NEMO).

He said since its initiation in 2013 by the Maritime Security Summit in Yaoundé about thirty African NEMO operations have been conducted.

He said the training opportunity for all navies and maritime coordination centres of countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea was targeted at equipping personnel to fight illegal fishing activities, provide search and rescue assistance, illegal trafficking of goods, people and drugs.

Dignitaries on board the ship included Madam Stephanie S. Sullivan, the United States of America Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Anne-Sophie Ave, French Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Maria Elisa J. de Luna, Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana and Officers from various naval commands across the globe.

The ship, 'Somme' was Captained by Capitaine de Fregate Guathier Dupire of the French Navy.