Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening maritime security and promoting sustainable fishing in the Gulf of Guinea, following the arrival of the French Navy’s Tonnerre amphibious assault ship at the Port of Tema for a four-day joint naval training exercise.
The visit forms part of the 2025 Regional Onboard and Digital Training Course (SIREN), which brings together personnel from the Ghana Navy and the French Navy to conduct exercises in maritime rescue, anti-piracy operations, pollution control, and crisis management. It also highlights France’s renewed engagement with coastal West African nations after pulling its forces out of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Ghana’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, welcomed the French delegation and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to protecting its maritime space and the livelihoods it supports.
“I am proud to reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to regional maritime security and sustainable fisheries management,” she said. “The Gulf of Guinea is a vital hub for trade, security, and biodiversity, but we face significant challenges. Illegal fishing, piracy, trafficking, and environmental degradation threaten the livelihoods of our people and regional stability.”
Business Insider reports that the Gulf of Guinea handles nearly one-fifth of global maritime trade moving through West Africa but remains one of the world’s most piracy-prone waters, costing coastal economies hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Illegal fishing and pollution have also deepened economic and environmental pressures, especially for coastal communities that rely on fisheries and tourism.
Commanded by Naval Captain Arnaud Bolelli, the 199-metre Tonnerre was received by senior Ghanaian naval officials and French defence representatives, including Colonel Grégoire Madelin, France’s Defence Attaché in Ghana.
The exercise marks another chapter in the long-standing partnership between Ghana and France in maritime security and capacity-building, a collaboration that both sides say is essential to protecting trade routes and marine resources in the Gulf of Guinea
