The Government of Ghana is considering suspending the closed fishing season for artisanal fishers in 2026 as evidence mounts that the policy is worsening the socio-economic conditions of coastal communities.
Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ms. Emelia Arthur, said the government may opt against implementing the closure this year, but would instead intensify enforcement of marine conservation regulations to protect fish stock.
“We may this year maintain no closure, but with a very stern warning and strict enforcement of marine conservation management and practices,” the Minister said.
Ms. Arthur was speaking at the launch of the Creating Synergy Between Indigenous Practices and Scientific Knowledge (ISIPSK) research report, also known as the Sankofa Project in Accra.
She stressed that environmental sustainability must go hand in hand with social equity, particularly for communities whose livelihoods depend entirely on fishing.
Fish accounts for about 60 percent of animal protein intake in Ghana, with annual per capita consumption estimated at 25 kilogrammes, well above the African and global averages.
The fisheries sector contributes between 2.6% and 5% of agricultural Gross Domestic Product and generates more than US$1 billion in foreign exchange annually.
“Fisheries policies must protect marine ecosystems while remaining fair, inclusive, and responsive to the realities of coastal livelihoods,” the Minister said.
Ghana introduced the closed season policy for industrial trawlers in 2016 and extended it to artisanal fishers in 2019, despite strong resistance over timing and livelihood concerns.
The policy is designed to allow fish stocks to recover by temporarily halting fishing during vulnerable periods such as spawning and migration.
However, a study conducted by researchers from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, found that the policy has imposed more hardship on artisanal fishers than the conservation benefits it seeks to achieve.
The research, based on engagements with 833 fisherfolk across 15 landing beaches in eight major fishing communities in the four coastal regions during the July 2024 closed season, revealed widespread livelihood disruption.
About 90 percent of respondents reported a decline in fish landings over the past decade.
The study found that the closed season increased household stress, disproportionately affected women, contributed to low school attendance, and heightened social challenges within fishing communities.
It also noted that the one-month break encouraged fishers to intensify fishing before and after the closure, sometimes using illegal methods to repay debts.
“We are forced to go fishing even when the sea is rough to prepare for the closed season. After July, we need to catch more fish to pay for our debts,” one fisher from the Central Region was quoted as saying.
Ms. Arthur said the government was committed to acting on the study’s findings and acknowledged the need to strengthen traditional governance systems within fishing communities.
She disclosed that the Ministry was working with district assemblies and chief fishermen to develop bylaws that integrate customary conservation practices into local enforcement mechanisms.
“We are engaging the district assemblies to work closely with the chief fishermen to come out with bylaws and local governance laws to protect, manage, and enforce conservation measures,” she said.
Lead researcher, Dr. Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood of the University of St Andrews, explained that the study was led by the School of Geography and Sustainable Development, with contributions from Josephine Laryea Asare as part of her PhD research.
The project is implemented in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission and regional fisheries organisations.
Funded by the PEW Fellows Programme in Marine Conservation, the ISIPSK project examined the gendered socio-economic impacts of the closed season and explored how indigenous conservation practices could be combined with scientific approaches.
The study concluded that while the closed season allows fishers some rest, it cuts off their primary source of income, triggering negative ripple effects on households.
It recommended that any future closure should align with the traditional May–June period, historically observed by fishers due to naturally rough sea conditions.
Dr. Okafor-Yarwood urged the government to introduce livelihood support programmes, particularly for fisherfolk aged 65 and above, to cushion the impact of any future fishing bans.
