Ghana to show more commitment in implementing labour standards and eliminating decent work deficits in the fishing sector

One critical area where Ghana is hugely blessed in terms of natural resources is the fisheries sector. A report by Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana indicates that the country generates about US$1 billion from the fisheries sector. This translates to about 4.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) annually.

The fisheries sector is a significant contributor to employment creation in the country.

TUC reported further that about 10 percent of Ghana’s active labour force rely on fishing for employment.

The fisheries sector is a major source of livelihood for many households, especially in the coastal part of Ghana. In addition, the sector is a critical driver of nutrition in Ghana as fish provides close to 60 percent of animal protein consumed in the country.

The fisheries sector in Ghana

In 2020, scholars, including Hasselberg, Aakre and Scholtens, classified Ghana’s fisheries sector into three main subsectors. They are the marine, freshwater and aquaculture subsectors.

Available records suggest that Ghana’s marine fisheries subsector provides about 80 percent of the country’s domestic fish catch whilst the freshwater subsector, which mostly occurs on the Lake Volta and its tributaries, provides about 16 percent of Ghana’s domestic fish catch, with Ghana’s aquaculture providing about 4 percent of domestic fish catch annually.

Marine fishing in Ghana can further be classified into three groups: artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial trawl. A report by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development in 2022 indicates that artisanal fishing in Ghana involves 14,275 motorised and non-motorised registered canoes –sizes ranging from 3 to almost 20 meters length.

A study by Asumeng and Folitse in 2019 indicated that artisanal fishing, which contributes to about 80 percent of annual marine fish catch in Ghana, mainly uses encircling nets, hook and lines, beach seines, set nets and drift gill nets.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development reported that the semi-industrial subsector entails 224 operational boats which have wooden hulls with inboard engines and are grouped into two: larger vessels with about 30 meters length and smaller vessels with about 10 meters length.

The report added that industrial sub-sector which is made up of bottom trawl and tuna operations has about 76 active vessels.

Legal, institutional and policy frameworks

Given the amazing contribution of the fisheries resources to the country’s socio-economic development, Ghana has established various legislative, policy and institutional frameworks for regulating the fishing industry. In particular, the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625) established the Fisheries Commission to regulate and manage the utilization of fisheries resources in the country.

Again, the Ghana Maritime Authority Act, 2002 (Act 630) established the Ghana Maritime Authority to regulate, monitor, and coordinate activities in the maritime industry.

Other legal, institutional and policy frameworks, including the Maritime Pollution Act, 2016 (Act 932), the Ghana Shipping Act, 2003 (Act 645), the Ghana Maritime Security Act, 2004 (Act 675), the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, the Ghana Immigration Service, and National Policy for Management of the Marine Fisheries Sector, all seek to ensure sustainable utilization of fisheries resources and promote the welfare of fishers and fishing communities in the country.

As part of its 2024 reports, the Food and Agriculture Organization has stated that, as of 2020, there were over 100,000 Ghanaians who were members of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council.

The members of the council are mostly drawn from fishers, chief fishermen, queen mothers, canoe and gear owners who work to promote the welfare of canoe fishers. Clearly, Ghana has made some great strides in terms of legal, institutional and policy frameworks to improve labour standards in the fisheries sector.

Critical concerns

A key distinguishing part of the strides Ghana has made in improving the living and working conditions in fisheries sector is the ratification of the ILO Convention on Work in the Fishing Sector Convention (C188). The country should be commended for ratifying this convention.

Despite the strides made, Ghana’s fishing sector is plagued with diverse challenges.

A report by Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation in 2022 bemoaned that Ghana’s laws and regulations in the sector are generally outdated.

Ghana needs to show more commitment towards enacting laws to reflect the increasingly changing nature of the fisheries sector.

Again, a 2022 report by the Environmental Justice Foundation lamented about Ghana’s delay in ratifying the 2012 Cape Town Agreement which sets minimum standards for vessel safety in line with best practices outlined by the International Maritime Organisation.

Further delays in ratifying the 2012 Cape Town Agreement will not auger well for enhancing labour standards in the sector.

A report by the Environmental Justice Foundation in 2022 indicated that the absence of clearly defined mechanisms to monitor the welfare of Ghanaian fishers working in industrial trawl vessels due to the non-ratification of this agreement.

Another concern is weak enforcement of legal and institutional frameworks in the sector. In 2022, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development reported that Ghana has not been able to lay out adequate institutional and regulatory frameworks to promote sustainable fishing industry.

The Ministry further complained about the poor collaboration which exists between the Marine Police, the Ghana Navy, the Attorney General’s Department, and other state agencies mandated to ensure adherence to marine laws and regulations in the sector.

Earlier in 2019, government raised concerns not only about the weak enforcement regime within the fisheries sector but also about the logistical challenges such as scarce enforcement patrols, poor beach combing, and low quayside inspections.

Additionally, there are allegations of bribery and corruption in the fisheries sector amidst fierce resistance from fishers and other players.

A study by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation in 2022 found that state officials are involved in some corrupt practices coupled with intimidation they receive from influential players in the sector.

Moreover, unfavourable trade policies, globalization of the fishing industry, the dominance of foreign fleets and adverse impacts of climate change have combined to compound the problems in the fisheries sector of Ghana.

Finally, and perhaps most regrettably, there are concerns about too much politicization within the sector.

A report by TUC suggested that political interference in the sector impacts negatively on the fishing industry. Just like what pertains in the mining sector, political actors have failed to show enough commitment to properly tackle the challenges in the fisheries sector due to the fear of losing votes.

SDG 8: Achieving decent work in the fisheries sector

As a signatory to the SDGs, Ghana is enjoined to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

Ghana is expected to eliminate recruitment and use of child soldiers, and end child labour in all its forms.

These expectations find expressions in the target 7 of SDG 8 (promoting decent work). Yet, Ghana’s fisheries sector is characterised by several decent work deficits.

First, there are occupational, safety and health deficiencies in the sector. A study by Asumeng and Folitse in 2019 found that decks of most fishing boats in Ghana are congested by fishing gear and equipment, which compromises safety of fishermen.

Again, research by Environmental Justice Foundation in 2022 established that the fishing industry has become a commonplace for accidents and serious injuries due to poorly maintained equipment and lack of safety and protective gears.

The research further showed that most Ghanaian fishers experience serious injuries or deaths within 12 months coupled with insufficient medicine and first aid equipment in the boats.

A study in 2023 by Wright and Naadi found that there are times Ghanaian fishers who work in Chinese vessels fall sick and die in the vessels because crews and captains refuse to bring them ashore for treatment.

Even in situation where there are vessels with medicines, the medicine boxes are often kept with the captains.

What is worst is that inscriptions on the medicines are in the Chinese language. Of course, the situation is not peculiar to Chinese vessels as there are safety and health problems in the artisanal fisheries sector which is mostly managed by Ghanaians.

A study by Asumeng and Folitse in 2019 observed that most of the traditionally built fishing crafts have no navigation, communication, and safety equipment.

There are serious deficits in the living and working conditions of fishers in Ghana.

Though some positive changes have occurred especially on tuna vessels recently, both the Environmental Justice Foundation and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation reported hazardous working conditions in the trawl sector coupled with lack of nutritional food and potable water.

A report in 2023 by Verité showed that crew members onboard Chinese-owned trawlers operating in Ghanaian waters experience unpleasant living conditions. Other studies have reported that fishers are compelled to endure very unsuitable living conditions onboard trawlers. According to a 2022 report by Environmental Justice Foundation, sometimes fishers have to sleep on the deck without mattresses which exposes them to cockroaches and other harmful insects.

Another key decent work deficit in the fishing industry is the dwindling income as a result of the decline in fish catch. Reports from the Environmental Justice Foundation affirmed that there has been a drop in fish catch over the past 5 years owing to over-exploitation of fisheries resources. Researchers including Akpalu, Eriksen and Vondolia observed in 2018 that the average annual income per artisanal canoe has fallen by about 40 percent over the last decade.

The situation, as the Environmental Justice Foundation reported, has become even more threatening because Ghana now spends about $200 million annually on fish imports to meet national fish demand. The impact of dwindling income due to low productivity on the rising incidence of poverty and malnutrition on the shores of Ghana remains incalculably high especially on children, women and the elderly.

A critical cause of low productivity in the fisheries sector is inappropriate and unsustainable fishing practices. A report by the government in 2019 stated that the use of illegal fishing gears which is very common in the marine fisheries sector in Ghana contributes to dwindling productivity in the sector. The Environmental Justice Foundation further observed that overfishing is very common especially in the industrial trawl sector, with the saiko trade dominating the sector.

In its 2022 report, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation lamented about Ghana being given a yellow card for engaging in illegal transhipment at sea between canoes and industrial vessels in June 2021. Another report by Verité in 2023 showed that the highest number of fishing offences which were caused by Chinese-owned vessels in West Africa from 2015 to 2019 occurred in Ghana. Clearly, the situation in the fisheries sector of the country seriously undermines Ghana’s efforts towards achieving SDG 8 target 7.

Forced labour, human trafficking, and modern slavery in fisheries

Forced labour, human trafficking, and modern slavery have become very common in the fisheries sector of Ghana. According to a study by Paavilainen in 2023, many of the indicators of forced labour such as abuse of vulnerability, deception, intimidation and threats, physical violence, abusive working and living conditions, and excessive overtime are common in the fishing sector of Ghana. There are various forms of labour law violations.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation has further reported that there is no adherence to written employment contracts in the trawl sector. According to a 2023 report by Wright and Naadi, Ghanaian fishermen are sometimes treated as slaves by Chinese. The Chinese vessels’ owners beat, kick and spit on them with no mercy. Wright and Naadi further stated that Ghanaians in Chinese vessels in charge of equipment and crew are sometimes forced to work for several days without sleep.

Forced labour and Human trafficking are very common in the sector. Ghana is noted for being an origin, transit, and destination for victims of forced labour and human trafficking (MBAF, 2022: 4). Verité’s study in 2023 found that there are many labour brokers and informal recruiters who go to Ghanaian communities to recruit and transport victims into trafficking situations and forced labour in the fisheries sector. Human rights abuses are rampant in the sector. Verité lamented that victims of forced labour and modern slavery in the fishing sector of Ghana often work without any written contracts.

The way forward

The destruction of the fisheries resources, the deplorable living and working conditions of Ghanaian fishers and the rising incidence of forced labour, human trafficking and modern slavery all have huge implications not only on human dignity but also on our economy and future generations. The violations of human rights in the sector are in clear contravention of the expressions in the SDG 8 (target 8.7).

Ghana needs a paradigm shift in the fisheries sector through short and long-term approaches. Ghana urgently needs to ensure the adherence to existing legal and policy frameworks. Again, I support the call by TUC for the county to review its laws and regulations in the sector. We must review our existing legal, policy and regulatory frameworks to ensure they conform to best practices and the ever-changing trends in the sector.

Also, we need to urgently ensure the implementation of the provisions in ILO Convention 188. Additionally, we seriously need to ratify the 2012 Cape Town Agreement to enhance standards in the sector. The need for Ghana to ratify the Cape Town Agreement aligns with earlier calls by TUC. In its recently developed policy document, TUC affirmed the need for Ghana to urgently ratify the 2012 Cape Town Agreement.

Besides, Ghana is encouraged to adopt a multi-sectoral stakeholder approach to manage the situation. Stakeholder engagements at both local and national levels and across sectors will help to address the deficits in the sector. Our local governments, security agencies, traditional authorities, religious bodies, media organisations, and civil society organisations all need to work together to ameliorate the prevailing situation.

Indeed, we urgently need a clearly defined communication policy to challenge stakeholders to take actions towards the implementation of labour standards in the sector. A communication policy which is participatory and underpinned by digital and indigenous communication techniques is critical at this stage.

At the national level, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development can collaborate with other stakeholders including the Ghana Maritime Authority, the Fisheries Commission, Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, TUC and academia to develop a communication policy to ensure successful implementation of labour standards and elimination of decent work deficits in the sector.

At the local level, the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, especially in the coastal areas, can team up with stakeholders within their jurisdictions to develop context-specific communication strategies to facilitate the implementation of labour standards and elimination of forced labour in the fishing sector.

Moreover, we seriously need to de-politicize issues in the fishing sector to be able to deal with the challenge. Ghana will not be able to achieve any desired results if we continue to allow party politics to influence decisions and actions in the sector. As expressed by stakeholders such as the TUC, we consciously need to educate and train fishermen, chief fishermen and queen mothers who are vital stakeholders in the sector. They need increased education and training on issues including labour standards within the fisheries sector.

Finally, the Ghanaian media has a major role to play in this. The media needs intensive advocacy programmes aimed at empowering fishing communities and increasing public awareness on labour standards and eliminating decent work deficits in the fishing industry. Importantly, media advocacy can help to strengthen the implementation of existing laws and regulations in the sector and also stimulate discussions on the need to review these laws and regulations to reflect best practices and the ever-changing trends in the sector.

Media advocacy can equally ensure that social protection and social services are extended to fishing communities to improve the lives of fishers. Media houses in both the public and private sectors need to work together to achieve the desired change in the sector.

Thankfully, ILO Ghana has recently organised a four-day media capacity building workshop for journalists and other media professionals to understand the provisions of the ILO Work in Fishing convention (C188) and how the implementation of these provisions will promote decent work in the sector. The workshop, among others, sought to develop a draft communication strategy and media action plan on the implementation of labour standards and elimination of forced labour in the fishing sector.

It is worthy to commend TUC and ILO Ghana for their commitment to promoting labour standards in the fishing sector. A critical part of their commitment relates to the development of a policy document for facilitating decent work in our fishing industry which occurred recently. The efforts by TUC and ILO Ghana are important steps to improve standards in the fisheries sector which other stakeholders can emulate.

The writer is a Development Communication Specialist, Senior Lecturer & Dean, Faculty of Integrated Communication Sciences, University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), Accra.