Assessing the Impact of the Closed Fishing Season on Small Pelagic Fish Stock Dynamics in Ghana

Ghana's closed fishing season, introduced to enable the recovery of the small pelagic fish stock, has implications for the fisheries resource but little is definitively known about the impact of this policy on the fish populations and the local people. Between 1990 and 2023, this study examined the closed season's effects on catch, efforts and catch per unit of effort (CPUE), and a discussion about how the policy was perceived by the fishermen. The primary data were derived from 386 fishers and in-depth interviews with 11 stakeholders across four coastal communities in Sekondi, Keta, Jamestown and Apam. Secondary data on catch and effort were obtained from the Fisheries Scientific Survey Division of the Fisheries Commission. Interrupted Time Series (ITS) and Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) models were used to analyse quantitative trends, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data. The results show that although there were marginal improvements in CPUE in some years following the policy, overall fish stocks remain under pressure due to persistent fishing effort, especially after the closure period. Fishing effort continues to show a strong negative effect on catches; a 1% increase in effort reduced aggregate catch by 2.61% before the policy and 1.94% after policy implementation. Many people involved in the fishery understand the closed season, but criticised its timing and limited consultation, which does not fit in with local conditions. The research concludes that a one-month seasonal closure is insufficient for stock recovery without addressing overcapacity and enforcement. It is recommended that the design and implementation of the policy be adaptive, inclusive of fishers’ ecological knowledge, and integrated with measures to moderate post-closure fishing effort in order to improve long-term sustainability.

Co-authors: Prof. John Windie Ansah, Dr. Eric Amoo Bondzie