Fisheries Ministry Imposes 3-Year Ban On New Canoes

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has placed a 3-year embargo on new entrants of canoes in the system.

The moratorium, which means no new canoes will be allowed in the fishing sector within the period, begins on Sunday, October 1, 2023.

The ministry’s 2022 canoe census recorded over 4,000 more canoes than the recommended 9,000 to 9,800 for sustainable fishing in Ghana.

Announcing the decision, the sector minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson, said this was part of efforts to protect the country’s diminishing pelagic fish stock.

Ghana’s pelagic fish stock, including anchovies and herrings, has plummeted dramatically over the last couple of decades and risks total collapse due to unrestrained bad fishing practices such as overfishing and using unapproved nets.

“I wish to formally announce the moratorium on the new artisanal canoe entrance, which takes effect from October 1, 2023, for three years. This means that no canoes will be constructed and brought into the system for the next three years.

“With this measure, it is expected that the pressure on the fisheries resources, in addition to the other measures the government is implementing, will all contribute to a reduction of the pressure on our fisheries resources,” she stated.

Any new boat caught on the sea would be considered engaging in illegal fishing and would, therefore, be arrested and prosecuted.