Ban on fishing to take effect next month - MoFAD

As part of the effort by the government to help revert Ghana’s depleting fish stocks, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) will from next month, August 2018, implement a 30-day temporary ban on all fishing activities in the country.

Known as the ‘Closed Season’, the brief halt in fishing activities is part of measures to reduce the overexploitation of fish stocks in Ghana's marine waters. It forms part of the strategies outlined in the Fisheries Management Plan of Ghana (Marine Sector, 2015-2019) to sustainably manage Ghana's marine fisheries resources.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, is backed by a comprehensive research finding which suggests that most fishes reproduce in the month of August.

The ‘Closed Season’ was enacted in accordance with sections 76(3) and 84 of the Fisheries Act, 2002(Act 625), by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission.

Briefing the media at a recent workshop for journalists, a Deputy Minister of MoFAD, Mr Francis Ato Cudjoe said extensive consultations have been done with stakeholders within the industrial and artisanal fishing sector ahead of the implementation of the ban.

Available data suggests that as many as 2.2 million people are dependent on the fisheries sector for their livelihoods.

However, most of Ghana’s fish resources are heavily overexploited and from all sources, the country is just able to produce 50% of its annual requirements.

The government of Ghana rolling our several measures to address t challenges within the sector. These measures include strengthening the country’s capacity to sustainably govern and manage the fisheries, reduce illegal fishing, increase the value and profitability generated by the fish resources.