Mavis Hawa Koomson
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) and the Fisheries Commission (FC) have announced a moratorium on new artisanal canoe entrants for the next three years.
Per the ban, which takes effect from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2026, there will be no new entrants for new artisanal canoes.
However, canoes that have been registered and embossed before this action came into force can be replaced when they break down upon approval by the FC.
Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, announcing the moratorium at an engagement with fishermen in Accra, said the move is to help the government regulate the increasing canoe fleet to control fishing effort.
This, she indicated, would aid in the sustainable management and rebuilding of the country’s small pelagic stocks.
“It will also help government to make informed management decision concerning the welfare of small-scale fishers while safeguarding their future,” she said.
Ms. Koomson said despite the marine artisanal fisheries subsector contributing about 70% – 80% of the total annual pelagic catch, artisanal fishermen have over the years engaged in activities which had contributed to overcapacity, overfishing, low productivity and low profitability in the marine fisheries sector.
“In the midst of our fishers struggling to make their expeditions more profitable, the small pelagic stocks are on the verge of collapse,” she indicated, adding that with the current open access regime, the canoe fleet has increased from 8,000 in 1990 to over 12,000 in 2023.
“However, the small pelagic fish landing, which is the backbone of the artisanal subsector, has decreased from 119,000 metric tonnes in 1990 to 20,000 metric tonnes 2022. For instance, annual landings of the Sardinella Aurita declined from 119,515 tonnes in 1992 to 11,834 tonnes in 2019, representing 9.9% of its largest recorded landings. Indeed, our scientist have informed us that a stock is considered collapsed when it reaches 10% of its highest yields and have therefore concluded that the Sardinella Aurita has collapsed,” she lamented.
The minister further noted that the decline in landings of the small pelagic fishes is affecting the livelihoods of over 3 million people along the value chain.
A situation she said has compelled most fishers to engage in various forms of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing activities, such as the use of undersized mesh nets, leading to landing of juveniles, light fishing, and the use of chemicals and explosives to make their fishing expedition profitable.
“With this measure, it is expected that the pressure on our fisheries resources, in addition to the other measures government is implementing, will all contribute to a reduction of the pressure on our fisheries resource, in order to recover the over exploited small pelagic stock,” she emphasised.
Ms. Koomson also stated that the ministry and the Fisheries Commission have over the past two years, engaged extensively with all stakeholders at the community, district, regional and national levels for the buy-in of the measure.
This action, she said, will be reviewed each year and a decision to open access to new entrants will be decided based on annual fish stock assessments.
President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, Nana Jojo Solomon, pledged the support of the council in the implementation of the moratorium.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri