The Government of Ghana is considering suspending the closed season for artisanal fishers in 2026 to ease the socio-economic pressures on coastal communities.

“We may this year maintain no closure, but with a very stern warning and strict enforcement of marine conservation management and practices,” Ms Emelia Arthur, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, said.

Speaking at the launch of the Creating Synergy Between Indigenous Practices and Scientific Knowledge (ISIPSK) research project report in Accra, Ms Arthur said environmental sustainability could not be achieved without social equity.

She noted that fish constituted about 60 per cent of Ghanaians’ animal protein intake, with an annual per capita consumption of 25 kilogrammes, higher than the African and global averages of 10.5 and 18.9 kilogrammes, respectively.

The Fisheries Ministry says the sector contributes 2.6 to five per cent of agricultural GDP, generating over US$1 billion in annual foreign exchange.

“Fisheries policies must protect marine ecosystems while remaining fair, inclusive and responsive to the realities of coastal livelihoods,” Ms Arthur noted.

The closed season policy was first introduced for the industrial trawl sector in 2016 and extended to artisanal fishers in 2019 after strong opposition.

It temporarily prohibits harvesting during vulnerable periods, such as spawning or migration, to ensure sustainability.

A study by the University of St Andrews, lead implementers of the ISIPSK project, also known as the Sankofa Project, revealed that the closed season imposed greater hardship on coastal fishers than the benefits it sought to achieve.

The research cited increased household pressures, particularly on women, low school attendance, stress, and a rise in social vices in fishing communities.

The study engaged 833 fisherfolk across 15 landing beaches in eight major fishing communities in the four coastal regions during the July 2024 closed season.

About 90 per cent of respondents reported reduced fish landings over the past decade.

Fisherfolk indicated that the closed season compelled them to disregard traditional fishing holidays and use illegal methods to secure a catch.

“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,” a Central Region fisher was quoted as saying.

Ms Arthur said the Government was committed to acting on the study’s findings and recognised the importance of reinforcing traditional governance systems, including conservation customs within fishing communities.

“We are engaging the district assemblies to work closely with the chief fishermen to come out with bylaws, local governance laws in protecting, managing, enforcing and giving you back your card as chief fishermen that you had,” she assured.

She said that the Sankofa Project provided evidence for balanced, well-informed policy making.

Dr Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, lead researcher from the University of St Andrews, said the study, part of her PhD research, was implemented in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission, Fisheries Committee for the West and Central Gulf of Guinea, and the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana.

Funded by the PEW Fellows Programme in Marine Conservation at the PEW Charitable Trusts, the project explores the integration of historical indigenous practices beneficial for conservation with scientific knowledge and examines the gendered socio-economic impacts of the closed season.

The research found that while the closed season allowed fishers time to rest, it halted income from primary livelihoods, adversely affecting households.

It recommended that any closed season should align with the natural May-June breaks historically observed by fishers.

“It was clear that the practice of observing breaks from fishing was not new to the fisherfolk. In all four coastal regions, fishers voluntarily took breaks from fishing in May and June due to what they described as natural closed season resulting from stormy weather at sea,” Dr Okafor-Yarwood stated.

She urged the Government to introduce livelihood support programmes for fisherfolk aged 65 years and above, particularly during the closed season.