Côte d’Ivoire will simultaneously observe this year’s closed fishing season which started July 1. 2023 with Ghana.
Under the auspices of the joint Fisheries Committee for West and Central (FCWC) gulf, joint fishing patrol operations would ensure among others compliance with the closed season.
This is an attempt to ultimately implement a sub regional closed season as part of measures to replenish dwindling fishery stock.
This year’s closed season in Ghana started on Saturday July 1 after the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hawa Koomson symbolically locked up the sea at Elmina.
Togo and Benin are expected to participate in the closed season in 2024.
She said joint implementation of the closed season by Côte d’Ivoire was an indication that her working visit to appeal to the fishery managers had started yielding results.
She appealed to security agencies to work to ensure enforcement of compliance.
She said the livelihood of the three million people and the over 180 fishing communities were being threatened by the continuous dwindling fishery stock.
Mrs Koomson noted that activities of overfishing and over-exploitation using illegal unreported and unregulated fishing practices continue to worsen the state, saying the closed season is to ensure recovery and rebuilding to prevent collapse of the stocks.
She said the result of a biological survey undertaken in 2022 indicated the fish caught were much more and bigger than in previous years.
Mrs Koomson said the continuous closure of the sea, seven years for the industrial and four years for the artisanal and inshore fleet had shown significant positive impact towards stock recovery.
She noted for instance that canoe landings were higher after the closure period and fishes bigger, saying it was an indication that the closed season should be implemented for many years to achieve the needed impact.
The closed season is part of measures to ensure the recovery and rebuilding of the critically low fishery stocks in accordance with Section 84 of the Fisheries Act 2000, Act 624.
Mrs Koomson thanked stakeholders including fishermen and processors, scientific working bodies, both national and international, civil society organizations and security agencies for their support in ensuring successful closed seasons.
