Close season brings us income uncertainties – Tema Fisherfolk

Some fishmongers at Tema Canoe Beach said they are uncertain about their livelihoods and sources of income generation as the 2023 closed fishing season approaches.

They shared their fears in an interview with the Ghana News Agency to ascertain their preparedness for the upcoming closed season and their coping mechanisms during the period.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture announced that July 1 to July 31, 2023, would be observed as a closed season for the artisanal and inshore fleets, while industrial trawlers would have theirs between July 1 and August 31, 2023.

The Ministry had indicated that it was empowered under the Section 84 of the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625) and by the Fisheries Commission, to declare a closed fishing season as part of a measures to ensure that the fish spawns at least once in its lifetime before being caught by fishermen.

Miss Beatrice Korkor, a fish monger, said those of them who have deep freezers mounted at the canoe beach, would stockpile it and sell it during the period.

She explained that their canoes had gone to sea at the time of the interview and were expected to arrive in a few days with the needed catch, which would be arranged into the freezers and iced as the freezers were not connected to electrical sources.

Miss Korkor said the prices of fish during the period were often a bit high due to supply issues and the cost they had to incur to preserve the few they had stockpiled.

She disclosed that most of the fish they preserved for sale during that period included butterfish, tuna, redfish, snippers and grouper.

She stated that after selling their stock, they would have to wait until the closed season was over before they started earning some income, as that was the only work available to them.

Auntie Naa Comfort, another fishmonger said during the closed season, she resorted to selling sachets of water at the community one business area to support her family’s financial needs.

She said even though she did not make much from it, it was better than just sitting at home and waiting for the period to be over.

Madam Akosua Dede, a retail fish monger at the canoe beach, said, “It is only here that we come to that we get something to eat; some of our colleagues have already returned to their hometowns ahead of the close season; I am a native of Tema, so I do not have anywhere to go back to, meaning I would have no work for the next one month”.

Madam Maley Borley, another fishmonger, said the period was always a challenging one for her since it was her only trade and daily life, to help take care of her seven children and ailing husband.

She said it had been difficult to save money ahead of the closed season due to the current economic hardship in the country, coupled with low catches, which had led to a high price of fish and low sales for them.

The fishmonger said even though they contributed and participated in every programme at the canoe beach, whenever items came from the Ministry for sharing among them during the closed fishing season, they do not get their share.

She appealed to the authorities to be fair in the distribution of such relief items to the fisher folks during these closed seasons.