The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has exempted canoe fishing operators from the 2026 Marine Fisheries Closed Season while instituting strict measures to regulate their activities.
Madam Emelia Arthur, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, made this known while announcing the 2026 close season at the Tema Canoe Basin, stating that the decision was critical to the role of canoe fisheries in Ghana’s food security and the economic well-being of Ghanaians.
Madam Arthur mentioned that canoe fisheries supplied approximately 80 per cent of locally consumed fish, providing 60 per cent of the nation’s animal protein.
She explained that exempting canoe fishers was intended to prevent economic hardship and avoid post-closure fishing pressures that could undermine broader conservation efforts.
“Their contribution to sustainability is recognised through the designation of Ghana’s first marine protected area, where traditional fishing grounds have been ceded as a regulated fishing zone,” she added.
She added that the Ministry was collaborating with tracking and communication systems to improve communication with them while at sea to quickly respond to them in case there were any challenges.
Outlining the closed season schedule, she said industrial tuna vessels were already observing their closed season, which started from March 17 and would end on April 30, 2026.
Madam Arthur added that industrial trawlers would observe a two-month closed season from July 01 to August 31, 2026, while semi-industrial vessels would observe a one-month closed season from July 01 to July 31, 2026.
She noted that the Ministry would collaborate with stakeholders to roll out a comprehensive fishers’ protection package, which would cover vessel licensing, insurance for fishing assets, social security arrangements, and transparent access to fisheries subsidies, including premix fuel.
She warned canoe fishers to comply fully with all fisheries regulations, emphasising illegal, unreported, and unregulated practices (IUU), stressing that light fishing and dynamite fishing would not be tolerated.
Madam Arthur noted that enforcement would be strengthened through intensified monitoring, control, and surveillance, with violations prosecuted under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2025.
She said the government has also acknowledged the role of canoe fishers in sustainable fisheries through the establishment of Ghana’s first Marine Protected Area, where traditional fishing grounds have been designated as regulated zones to balance conservation with continued access for local fishers.
She called on all stakeholders, including fishers, processors, traders, traditional authorities, and enforcement agencies, to support these measures.
Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten, Member of Parliament for Tema East, indicated that the initiatives by the ministry were aimed at preventing the depletion of fisheries resources while ensuring abundance in the sea, emphasising that it also sought to promote the smooth sale and distribution of premix fuel, in line with government policy.
Mr Odamtten urged participants to engage constructively, encouraging them to listen attentively and present their concerns to the appropriate authorities without confrontation.
According to him, these measures were designed to strengthen the fisheries sector for the overall benefit of the country.
As part of the announcement, an open forum was held to allow stakeholders to express their grievances, with the majority of concerns raised by trawler operators and artisanal fishers.
Premix fuel dealers were also directed to account for their operations, with authorities warning that any dealer who failed to submit the required bank statements within 24 hours would face suspension.
