The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has announced Ghana’s 2026 Marine Fishing Closed Season as part of efforts to restore declining fish stocks and promote sustainable fishing practices.
In a significant policy shift, canoe fishing vessels have been exempted from the 2026 closed season.
Speaking at a fisheries sector stakeholder meeting at the Tema Canoe Basin yesterday, the sector minister, Emelia Arthur, explained that the decision was taken to avoid undue economic hardship.
She said the canoe subsector remained the backbone of Ghana’s fisheries, contributing about 80 per cent of fish consumed locally and providing roughly 60 per cent of the country’s animal protein intake.
Despite the exemption, the minister said canoe fishers were expected to strictly adhere to fisheries regulations, particularly those targeting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
She cautioned against the use of prohibited methods such as light fishing and dynamite fishing, warning that enforcement will be intensified.
Monitoring
She said monitoring, control and surveillance systems would be strengthened and offenders would face sanctions under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025.
The fishers and other stakeholders
She further stated that as part of broader reforms, the ministry was developing a fishers protection package to support the sector.
The initiative, she explained, would include vessel licensing, tracking and communication systems, insurance for fishing assets and social security arrangements for fishers.
She added that access to subsidies, including premix fuel, would be tied to participation in the scheme, noting that stakeholder consultations on the package were expected to commence soon.
Background
The minister said the closed fishing season policy for Ghana’s marine fishing fleet was developed in collaboration with key stakeholders and was anchored on scientific evidence.
She said the policy was designed to balance environmental sustainability with the livelihoods of fishing communities.
Outlining this year’s timelines, the minister said industrial tuna vessels were already observing their closed season, which began on March 17 and would end on April 30, 2026.
Industrial trawl vessels, she said, would observe a two-month closure from July 1 to August 31, while semi-industrial vessels would halt operations for one month, from July 1 to July 31.
Sustainability
The Member of Parliament for Tema East, Isaac Ashai Odamtten, expressed optimism that interventions such as the closed season would significantly improve fishing practices and enhance the livelihoods of stakeholders in the sector.
The President of the National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG), Nana Joojo Solomon, welcomed the government’s efforts to introduce social interventions for fishers, describing them as necessary for improving the welfare of fishing communities.
The Chief Fisherman for Lower Prampram landing beach, Nene Sorsey Quarshie VI, called on the ministry to ensure greater enforcement of regulations governing the sector to protect and enhance the livelihoods of fishermen.
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