Locking up the sea - Gains, concerns from coastal communities
Governing the fisheries industry in Ghana has in the recent past been hectic and sometimes frustrating for managers because it has been almost unstructured from the free entry of boats to the sale and processing of fish and other marine stock.
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Indeed, the laws governing the fisheries sector are, to a large extent, superficial and many fishermen have fished according to how the generations before them have plied the trade, adding rather worrying illegalities along the way and alarmingly reducing stocks over the years.
Fishing communities have gotten poorer as fishermen have come back from their expeditions with little fish from overwhelming efforts.
In 2019, Ghana’s Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD), against the many agitations from fisher communities, took a rather bold decision to implement the closed season.
Closed season
The term "closed season”, or “biological rest period", refers to the stopping of fishing during the spawning period of the fish.
All over the world, closed seasons are observed as a way of reducing fishing pressure on stocks when they are most productive, to allow the fish the opportunity to lay eggs to replace the lost population due to fishing and other natural causes.
Indeed, globally, closed seasons are considered one of the key fisheries management strategies to help protect fish stocks and also increase their population.
Seasonal fishery closures are commonly used in fisheries management to, among others, limit effort, protect spawners and maximise yield. MOFAD was able to implement the first closed season in Ghana from May 5, 2019, to June 2019.
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However, scientists had argued that August was more appropriate as fish stock of Sardinella maderensis in Ghana’s marine waters referred to as the “people’s fish” bred in August.
In view of that, the timetable last year for the closed season for artisanal fishermen was from July 1, 2022, to August 1, 2022. Nonetheless, the Tuna fleet has a two-and-a-half-month closed season, from January to March, while the industrial trawlers have two months, from August to September.
Using the right nets is also critical to improving the fish stocks
MoFAD
The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hawa Koomson, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the ministry’s decision to implement the closed season had brought a positive impact on the fisheries recovery efforts.
She indicated that partly due to the closed season, the sizes of fish caught and the number were encouraging.
Stating that the ministry’s research team was documenting the results to inform future decisions, she said the fisheries stocks had reached alarming levels, which had compelled the ministry to, among other measures, implement the closed seasons.
"We realised the sea was overstretched and the closed season was to allow the sea to rest,” she said.
“We knew from interactions it would greatly affect livelihoods. We did a lot of sensitisation in the communities and helped out with relief items to ease the pressure on communities that depended directly on the sea resources.
“With the initial successes chalked up, Ghana’s fisheries ministry is collaborating with neighbouring countries to work out a plan for a possible sub-regional closed season,” the minister said.
The beaches are quiet as the stocks dwindle
Sub-regional
Ms Koomson, who is currently the President of the Fisheries Commission for West and Central Africa, said some fisheries ministers had tentatively agreed to the proposition.
She said a memorandum of understanding to that effect had already been signed by Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Benin, which had bought into the idea of a sub-regional closed season.
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“We realised that when the season is closed in Ghana, it puts a lot of pressure on fishery resources in other countries.
“Many Ghanaian fishermen travel to the neighbouring countries to fish, mounting pressure on resources in those countries,” she said.
She stated that discussions were far advanced and added that she was hopeful the regional closed season would be a reality with reports indicating that Côte d'Ivoire and Benin were already implementing the closed season.
The Chairman of the Fisheries Commission Board, Prof. Francis Nunoo, stated that a sub-regional closed season would maximise gains across the sub-region.
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He explained that fishery stocks, especially the small pelagic, were migratory and usually migrated across borders.
“If there is regional closure we will be sure that the fish stocks are not being caught in neighbouring countries while we are implementing our closed season,” he explained, adding that with that the impact would be significantly felt by all.
Not saviour solution
He noted that the closure of the fishing season, however, would not be the solution to all the issues affecting the fisheries sector.
He appealed to fishermen and all fishers to adhere to regulations governing the sea as fishery institutions and governments made efforts to restore stocks.
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He indicated that the closed season must be complemented by the right actions and attitudes.
“It is important that fishers themselves also resolve to desist from all forms of illegal unreported and unregulated methods of fishing, which negatively impact conservation, restoration and management of the fishery stocks,” he stated.
Prof. Nunoo indicated that efforts made to police the sea were expensive, stating that what would be more impactful would be for fishers of all categories to resolve themselves to fish responsibly, using approved gear and methods.
Impact
The President of the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners of Ghana, Nana Kweigyah, for his part, stated that the quality of fish caught in terms of sizes had improved noticeably and the distance to which they had to travel for such fish had also reduced.
However, he wanted empirical evidence to indicate it was due to the closed season.
“Trawling by industrial vessels has been a barrier preventing fishes from coming closer. With the reduced trawler activities, artisanal fishers make some catch at shorter distances than
before,” he explained.
“The scientists may have to provide us data on the biological impacts but as fishers, we assess the closed season in terms of catch.
“In that regard, if there is any improvement in catch, it has been short-lived, and of course expected, in the sense that anytime we stay out of fishing for a while, we tend to record relatively good catch in the first few days.
“And it has not been different in the case of the closed season. But we can confidently say that when trawling is halted or reduced, artisanal fishers make a good catch,” he added.
Fishmongers in communities in the Western and Central regions said they could attest to the quality and quantity of fish caught in recent times.
Fishmongers depend on catches to ply their trade
Fishermen
Some fishermen in Cape Coast and Elmina said in interviews that while they were happy with catches, they would want more structured alternative livelihoods during the closed season.
They indicated that it was important for fishermen to do their part to support efforts and that they were tired of negative practices by some fishermen.
A fisherman from Moree, Kwamina Atta, said it was unfortunate that efforts by the government were being hindered by some continuous illegalities at sea. He stated that to ensure the maximised impact of the closed season, the Fisheries Commission must check the quality of fish landed.
Another fisherman at Elmina, Kwamina Ansah, said he still did not like the idea of a closed season but urged the government to firmly check the many illegalities at sea.
“If light fishing, the use of the right nets and proper checks and balances are put in place for everyone, including the industrial trawlers, we may not even need the closed season.
“But if it’s implemented, then the government must put in place measures to help us survive the period,” he stated.
A fishmonger in Cape Coast, Maame Efua, said the closed season brought untold hardships to the fishing communities.
Other fishers called for alternative livelihoods as the closed season was implemented while some called for a longer closed season for the industrial trawlers, which they indicated had a huge impact on the fishery stocks.
Others were of the view that the closed season should be scraped or implemented in February and March.