Empty Nets: Unveiling the Dark Reality Behind Ghana's 'People's Fish' Collapse

This project sheds light on the dark reality behind the collapse of the "people’s fish" (small pelagic) in Ghana.

In Ghana, the artisanal fishing sector directly employs over 200,000 fishers, providing livelihoods to over 2 million people, including market women in the value chain. They heavily depend on the small pelagic fish stock for sustenance. However, this vital fish stock has drastically declined over the years. Sustainable Fisheries Management research in 2020 revealed an alarming drop of over 85 percent in small pelagic fish catch since its peak in 1996.

Scientists have warned that Ghana's small pelagic stock is on the brink of collapse. Despite the severity of the situation, the Fisheries ministry in Ghana has failed to impose maximum sanctions on trawler vessels as required by law and address allegations of corruption and influence-peddling involving politically exposed individuals. The precarious state of the small pelagic stock poses a significant threat to the nation's fishing industry and the livelihoods of millions of Ghanaians.

Image caption: "View over fishing village from Door of No Return - Cape Coast Castle, Cape Coast, Ghana." Image by Adam Jones, Ph.D./CC BY-ND 2.0. Ghana, 2010.