The prohibition on fishing for artisanal and inshore fleets during this year’s close season has been repealed by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.
The ministry and the Fisheries Commission implemented the fishing close season, which forbade fishermen from fishing in the nation’s waterways for a month, as a way to replenish the nation’s fishery stock, which statistics indicate has been declining.
Fishermen can also take use of this time to repair their gear and get ready for their trips.
symbolic entrance
The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, stated during a ceremony last Thursday that the symbolic opening of the sea was not only to mark the beginning of fishing operations again, but also to honor the cooperation and shared responsibility that had united industry participants in their resolve to manage fisheries resources sustainably. The ceremony was held at Akplabanya, a coastal community in the Ada West District in the Greater Accra Region.
“Sustainable fishing practices are not just beneficial for the environment but also for the economic stability and growth of our fisheries sector,” she emphasized, emphasizing the need for all stakeholders to carefully strike a balance between using the marine resources and conserving them for future generations.
In order to increase productivity and profitability in the fishing industry, Mrs. Koomson stated that the government would constantly improve the sector by putting in place new technologies, better infrastructure, and programs for alternative livelihoods. It would also train and empower women processors and fishermen to increase their capacity.
“Our goal is to create a thriving, sustainable fishing industry that would benefit all stakeholders,” she stated.
USAID
Grace Lang, the acting mission director of USAID Ghana, stated that her organization collaborated with the ministry and the Fisheries Commission to mark the conclusion of the 2024 close fishing season. They felt that close season fishing, along with other sustainable practices, was crucial to restocking Ghana’s fish stock.
For millions of Ghanaians, fish is a vital source of food, nutrition, and a living. The US provided bilateral support of more than $140 million in 2023 to promote, among other things, governance, health, education, and agriculture and economic growth, the official stated.
Effect
According to Ms. Lang, the effect evaluation of the 2023 close fishing season revealed that the average sizes of the anchovies (Keta school boys), flat sardinella, and round sardinella that were caught prior to the start of this year’s close season had increased.
According to her, “this suggests that populations had a chance to recover from the pressures of fishing activity during the close season periods, leading to a rebound in their size.”
Sampson Tetteh Kpankpa, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ada West, made a plea to the government to build a landing site in the region, which he said had the longest coastline in West Africa and the greatest number of canoes, in order to improve fishing operations there.
The close fishing season is a good idea, according to Nana Jojo Solomon, President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), who also urged all stakeholders to support management decisions that improve the lives and livelihoods of fishermen.
The Village Savings and Loans Scheme, which provides members with credit facilities to support their businesses and families during the fishing close season, was introduced to women by the Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity. The National Fish Processors and Traders Association (NAFPTA) praised this initiative and expressed the hope that it will develop into a banking facility to support women in the industry.
In a speech read on his behalf, Raphael Alimo, the Chief Fisherman for Akplabanya, urged the minister to see to it that premix gasoline is available at all of the landing beaches so that local enterprises can prosper.