Among Ghana’s fishing communities, tradition has dictated that one day a week remains free from any activity, as a way of protecting stocks. For the rest of the week, the shoreline would usually bustle with those returning with their catch.
But this is no longer the picture. On working days, fishers now sit around mending broken nets or napping in canoes. Depleted fish populations in the West African country’s waters mean that more than just one day a week is a day of rest.
According to data from the country’s Fisheries Commission, there has been a drop in annual marine and inland fish production – that is, fewer fish are being caught. Although there was an increase in 2020, catches were still over 15,000 tonnes lower than 2017 levels. One of the reasons for this is the amount of fish being lost to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing…