Western Region Fishermen Suggest New Months For Closed Fishing Season
- Fishermen in the Western Region of Ghana want the closed fishing season to be shifted to May and June
- Fisher folks said the proposal for monthly changes was refused by the Akufo-Addo administration
- Western Region Fishing communities are not against the closed fishing season but rather call for broader consultation on a convenient date
PAY ATTENTION: NOW You can COMMENT on our articles on the YEN website! Learn how to get started.
Some fishermen in the Western Region of Ghana want the closed fishing seasons to shift to May and June.
While artisanal fishermen have been exempted from the 2025 closed season, slated for July 1 to August 31, moving forward, they prefer that future closed seasons be brought forward.
Fishermen voice the desire for a new window to YEN.com.gh.
Joseph Asare, a Jomoro-based artisanal fisherman, welcomed the exclusion of artisanal fishermen but called for broader consultation with stakeholders in the fishing industry on the date for subsequent year’s closed seasons.
“Let’s make this clear that we, the fishermen from the western region, are not against the closed fishing season, if that is the picture painted. We are rather asking that, since we the fishermen already use May-June to stay off the sea, the government will use this period to implement its closed fishing season. We are, however, thankful to the minister for exempting us from this year’s season.”
Source: UGC
According to him, before the first implementation of the closed fishing season, fisher folks had proposed between May and June but the erstwhile administration shot down that suggestion though they had pledged their readiness to comply with the directive.
“The May-June period had since time immemorial been the period fishermen had observed to serve the purpose for the closed season, revising it will be the way to go. We have been incurring losses during the July-August closed season,” he said.
He further said the current economy has not been favourable enough for not only the ordinary Ghanaian but also fisher folks while calling on the Government to assist them during the closed fishing period to enable them to meet their basic needs.
“Fishermen have no substitute businesses as we rely solely on fishing to cater for our family needs. Therefore, closing the sea for one month without the government making provisions will make things difficult for us to take care of ourselves and our dependents during the one month, and this will increase our already worsened predicament.”
He added that since fishermen were not benefiting from the closed season, it would be better for the Fisheries Commission and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to scrap it altogether.
Kwesi, affectionately known as “Don’t Fall”, a Jomoro-based fisherman, shared similar concerns to YEN.com.gh.
With five kids and a wife, Kwesi, who has been fishing for at least the past 15 years, said it is extremely difficult taking care of the family during the closed season period.
He explained that fishermen across the country stay off the sea between May and June, which is the rainy period.
They, therefore, pray that the government will rather use that period for the closed season.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Western Region, Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, Mike Abeka-Edu, has lauded the decision by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to exclude artisanal fisher folks from this year’s closed fishing season, believing that a lot of considerations have been made.
He also believes the exemption is one of the ways the government intends to address the economic concerns raised by canoe fishermen.
He, however, said that reservations on the closed season, one of which is the period date raised by key stakeholders, are being looked at.
One of the solutions to these worries, shared in addressing them, is the decision by the ministry to have only industrial vessels to observe this year’s period of the closed season.
He said the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development is exploring other steps to prevent the depletion of fisheries' stocks and achieve the objectives behind the introduction of the closed season.
Abeka-Edu called on the region’s managers of the subsided premix fuel to distribute it to the beneficiaries, being the fishermen, accordingly to ply their fishing trade.
Some fish processors and fishmongers also told yen.com that their livelihoods are mostly adversely impacted, while their families are often seriously affected by the implementation of the closed season since its introduction in 2016.
Source: UGC
About the closed fishing season
In 2016, the national government introduced the closed season policy to reverse the declining fish production.
The closed season is backed by sections 76 (3) and 84 of the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625) by the Fisheries Commission and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.
The term “closed season”, also known as “biological rest period”, refers to the stopping of fishing activities during the spawning period of the stocks. It was implemented for the industrial vessels for a month in 2016.
Fishermen allegedly flouting closed season involved in crash
Yen.com reported that two fishermen from Tema had died after their canoe crashed into a patrol boat while fishing at night on Thursday, July 27, 2023.
The patrol boat involved in the crash belonged to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).
New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!
Source: YEN.com.gh
