Industrial trawlers operating in Ghanaian waters continue harvesting large volumes of illegal bycatch including juvenile fish vital to artisanal fisheries, undermining livelihoods and threatening food security, a new report released Tuesday reveals.
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) report titled Breaking the Vicious Circle found that ninety-four percent of artisanal fishers surveyed reported declining catches, while eighty-seven percent said their incomes have fallen in recent years as fish stocks collapse.
The international environmental organization estimates that between fifty-three and sixty percent of industrial trawler landings consist of bycatch. Analysis showed that ninety-six percent of chub mackerel and ninety-seven percent of round sardinella found in landed samples were below minimum legal size. These small pelagic species should not appear in trawler catches at all.
The report documents systematic use of illegally modified fishing nets, routine landing of undersized fish, and continued illegal fish exchanges at sea, although the practice has reduced. Fish processors and traders face soaring prices as capital that should sustain local livelihoods is diverted to industrial operators, many ultimately owned by foreign interests.
This trade in so-called logo fish fuels the collapse of fish populations and devastates coastal communities, according to the organization. However, EJF acknowledged that Ghana stands at a turning point as government has taken bold steps toward reform.
The recent expansion of the Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) to twelve nautical miles offers artisanal fishers greater protection from destructive trawling. At the United Nations Ocean Conference held in France last year, Ghana committed to unmasking true beneficial owners of fishing vessels and has since endorsed the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency.
Steve Trent, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation, stated that Ghana has shown real global leadership in recent months. He noted that while the challenge is serious and findings are deeply concerning, the expansion of the exclusion zone, adoption of landmark legislation, and firm support for the transparency charter demonstrate political will for change.
The organization said illegal saiko transshipments have virtually ceased, sanctions against offending vessels have escalated from fines to license suspensions, and new gear directives have already delivered measurable improvements in catch selectivity.
However, the report stressed that more must be done to break the vicious circle of illegal bycatch and restore Ghana’s collapsing small pelagic fisheries. Recommendations include enforcing the new Fisheries and Aquaculture Law with zero tolerance for offenders, seizing illegal catches, deploying electronic monitoring across the fleet, and ensuring penalties are robust enough to act as effective deterrents.
The benefits of these measures must flow back to artisanal fishers and coastal communities, the report emphasized. By acting on these recommendations and fully implementing the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, Ghana could make its fisheries work for its people, protecting food security, safeguarding livelihoods, and setting an example for the world in building sustainable, legal and ethical fisheries.
Ghana’s marine fisheries provide livelihoods for approximately 2.5 to three million people along the value chain, representing around ten percent of the population. Small-scale fisheries employ around 107,500 fishermen, accounting for eighty percent of all fishers in Ghana, with an additional 500,000 individuals engaged in processing, distribution and marketing.
The Environmental Justice Foundation conducts investigations and produces documentary films to expose environmental and human rights abuses globally. The organization works in multiple countries including Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, Cameroon, Thailand and Indonesia to support small-scale fishers monitoring their fishing grounds.
