Decision Making Under Constraints: managing fisheries in West Africa,

with emphasis on Ghana

John Atta-Mills

Jackie Alder

Ussif Rashid Sumaila

Marine Fisheries, Ecosystems and Societies in West Africa:

Half a Century of Change

Plenary Session, 26 June 2002, Dakar, Senegal

State of West African Fisheries:

Many fish stocks are declining, for example:

• Shrimps - fully exploited or over-exploited off Senegal and Guinea Bissau;

• Octopus - over-exploited off Mauritania;

• Groupers - over-exploited off Senegal;

• Sea breams - over-exploited off Sierra Leone;

• Trigger fish - over-exploited off Ghana.

Sources: FAO (2001); Samb (2000)

Some reasons for the decline

• Over-capacity, resulting in over-fishing;• Subsidies, especially by the EU; • Fishing by distant-water fleets, esp. from the EU;• Inadequate fisheries science to support management;• Management regimes without appropriate focus;• Ineffective enforcement of regulations.

Some social consequences

• Unemployment, esp. in coastal communities;

• Migration out of coastal communities into the cities resulting in huge social problems;

• Political tensions resulting in the expulsion of migrant fishers from other West African countries.

Some economic consequences

• Vanishing incomes in fishing communities;

• Reduced earnings from licenses and taxes to the state;

• Reduced investment in the fisheries sector;

• All of the above lead to declining Gross Domestic Product in many West African countries.

Ghana – A regional fishing nation• Gulf of Guinea - relatively scarce in

fish resources;• High consumption of fish; 22 kg per

year and person; • Imports fish to meet domestic needs

to complement artisanal fleet (which meets 70% of demand);

• 43 % of the population lives within 100 km of the coast;

• Nearly 200 fishing villages over a short coastline;

• A rich history of fishing in the waters of other West African countries.

Earlier extension of Ghana’s fishing fleet

Reach of Ghana’s fleet, 1960 to 1969

Reach of Ghana’s fleet, 1970 to 1979

Reach of Ghana’s fleet, 1980 to 1989

Reach of Ghana’s fleet, 1990 to 1999

Ghana’s landings (red) from neighboring countries declined:

Some social consequences:

Unemployment has the biggest impact:

• 100,000 jobs lost in the fishing industry from 1992 to 1996;

• Many fishing villages losing young men and women to urban centers;

• Urban centres experiencing increased social unrest & other problems.

Some economic consequences• Industrial fishing sector

stagnant for decades;• Number of viable fishing

companies declining;• Contribution of the fishing

sector to national economy declining;

• Exports increased 500% (in tonnage) since 1960s;

• Imports decreased 35% (in tonnage) since 1960s;

• From net importer net exporter.

Ghana’s new ‘Fishing Law’

• The goals are sound fisheries policies and management plans with implementation through effective monitoring, control and surveillance;

• The law is quite comprehensive but its effectiveness will ultimately depend on how it is implemented.

• Implementing Agencies: – Fisheries Commission;– Fisheries Settlement Committee;– Fisheries License Evaluation Committee.

What should be done:

• Reduce fishing pressure from both foreign and domestic fleets;

• Find alternative economic activities for coastal fishers displaced by fleet capacity reduction;

• Harmonize and coordinate negotiations (at a sub-regional level) with foreign governments for fishing access arrangements;

• Improve investment climate;• Reform fishing policy with main focus on the

restoration of marine ecosystems.

The Sea Around Us project is a UBC Fisheries Centre partnership with the Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia, USA

John Atta-Mills also acknowledges support from the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues, University of British Columbia, and from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

Acknowledgements