The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development started implementation of a three-year moratorium on new entrants to the artisanal fisheries sector last year; however, low compliance with the directive appears to be a major challenge.
The three-year moratorium was intended to deter new canoe entries into the sea due to over-congestion of the marine space.
This was brought to light when the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister, Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson, addressed canoe fishermen in Accra as part of engagements to kick-start this year’s closed fishing season.
“The moratorium has become necessary as it is the only measure to prevent canoe overcapacity and depletion of existing fish stocks,” she stated.
MoFAD indicates that the overall objective of this activity is to regulate the increasing canoe fleet and control fishing in an effort to aid in managing and rebuilding Ghana’s small pelagic stocks.
There are currently an estimated 12,200 canoes in the country, but according to the moratorium plan MoFAD and the FC will limit the country’s canoe numbers to only 10,000 after the project.
Although a majority of fishers are in support of the 3-year moratorium, a few – constituting some 27 percent – do not agree with the moratorium. They argue that without addressing other forms of illegal fishing, such as light-fishing, the moratorium will not achieve its purpose.
Meanwhile, the 2024 fishing Closed Season lasts from July 1 to August 31 for artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial trawl fleets.
A ban has been placed on the registration of new canoes for artisanal fishing over the next three years. This follows implementation of a three-year moratorium on new artisanal canoe entry that took effect from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2026 for the artisanal sector.
Overfishing with a corresponding reduction of stocks has driven fishermen to spend more hours/days at sea as they struggle to make fishing profitable, even with government-supported fuel subsidies.
Therefore, for the next three years new canoes are not expected to be built and brought into the system. The canoe segment is the marine fisheries sector’s major provider of employment.
It is estimated that about 10 percent of the total population of Ghanaians depend directly or indirectly on fish for their livelihoods, comprising about 3.3 million of the population.
