The growing practice of light fishing along Ghana’s coastline is not only threatening the country’s marine resources but is also deepening the socio-economic challenges confronting fishing communities, particularly women whose livelihoods depend heavily on fish processing and trading.
For many women in coastal communities, declining fish catches have translated into rising operating costs, mounting debts, reduced household incomes and growing uncertainty about the future. Some say the worsening situation is increasingly pushing members of their communities to consider irregular migration as an escape from poverty and financial hardship.
These concerns emerged during a tour of selected landing beaches in the Central Region, including Moree, Elmina and Cape Coast (Abrofo Mpoano), with support from Journalists for Responsible Fisheries and Environment (JRFE).
The engagement provided an opportunity for fishers, processors and other stakeholders to recount the economic consequences of declining fish stocks and the impact of destructive fishing practices on communities that have depended on the sea for generations.
Declining Fish Stocks, Declining Livelihoods
Fishers and fish processors highlighted the far-reaching consequences of illegal and unsustainable fishing practices, particularly for women who form a critical part of Ghana’s post-harvest fisheries sector.
Women engaged in fish processing and trading said business has become increasingly difficult as fishermen return from the sea with significantly smaller catches than they used to.
The scarcity of fish has intensified competition among buyers, forcing traders to pay higher prices for smaller quantities. In many cases, they said, the cost of purchasing fish, transporting it, processing it and taking it to market leaves little or no profit.
“We depend entirely on fish landed at the beaches to feed our families and keep our businesses alive,” one fish processor explained. “Today, we borrow money just to buy fish, but after selling, we cannot recover our capital. The debts keep increasing.”
For women whose household incomes depend almost entirely on the fisheries value chain, every poor fishing trip can have consequences beyond the immediate loss of income.
Reduced earnings can affect children’s education, healthcare, food purchases, rent, utility bills and the ability of women to reinvest in their businesses.
Light Fishing Worsening the Crisis
Fishers attributed a significant part of the decline in fish stocks to the continued use of light fishing, a prohibited fishing practice in which powerful lights are used at night to attract fish before they are harvested.
According to the fishers, the practice contributes to the depletion of marine resources by facilitating the capture of fish in large quantities, including juvenile fish that have not had the opportunity to mature and reproduce.
They argued that the continued exploitation of fish stocks is making artisanal fishing increasingly difficult, with fishermen spending longer hours at sea while returning with smaller catches.
The consequences extend directly to women who depend on the landings for their businesses.
For fish processors and traders, every reduction in fish landings means fewer opportunities to buy, process and sell fish. The result, they said, is declining income and increasing financial pressure on households.
Debt Becoming a Way of Life
Ama Nyamekyera, a 36-year-old fish processor from Moree with more than 15 years of experience in the fishing industry, described the current situation as increasingly difficult for many women in the sector.
She explained that many fish processors depend on credit from canoe owners, fish suppliers, savings groups, microfinance institutions and informal money lenders to finance their operations.
Although she said she has personally managed to avoid taking loans because of support from her fisherman husband and family, she noted that many of her colleagues have not been as fortunate.
According to her, declining profits have made it increasingly difficult for women who operate on credit to meet repayment obligations.
She said accumulated debts have, in some cases, forced women to sell household assets, temporarily withdraw children from school, postpone healthcare and reduce the number of meals available to their families.
Others, she noted, live under constant pressure from creditors, creating emotional stress and uncertainty about their future.
“We are working harder than before but earning less,” another female fisher lamented. “Every day we think about how to pay those we owe.”
Fishermen Also Bearing the Cost
The economic consequences of destructive fishing practices are not limited to women.
Joel Eyifah, a 40-year-old fisherman with about two decades of experience in the industry, described the difficulties faced by fishermen who rely on traditional fishing methods.
He explained that fishermen who do not engage in light fishing but depend on what he described as “man-power” fishing are increasingly struggling to compete with those using prohibited methods.
According to him, fishermen can spend hours at sea, consume large quantities of fuel and use considerable effort, only to return with little or no fish.
He also cited the destruction of fishing nets and other equipment as additional financial burdens.
Mr Eyifah argued that the consequences of light fishing can extend beyond the canoes directly involved in the practice.
He said fishers operating in the same fishing grounds may find it difficult to make meaningful catches after intensive fishing activity has taken place, leaving those who depend on traditional methods with wasted fuel, damaged equipment and little income.
Irregular Migration Emerging as an Escape
As livelihoods deteriorate, irregular migration is increasingly being viewed by some members of fishing communities as a possible escape from poverty and indebtedness.
Some women said stories of relatives and friends who have travelled abroad and secured employment often create the perception that migration can provide an opportunity to earn enough money to repay debts, support families and improve their living conditions.
However, migration expert Ruth Mansah Mensah of GIZ-Ghana warned that women who travel through irregular migration channels can become highly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
She explained that migrants who leave under desperate economic circumstances may face risks including modern slavery, human trafficking, forced labour, gender-based violence and other forms of exploitation.
According to Ms Mensah, migrants who are already heavily indebted are particularly vulnerable because traffickers and exploitative employers can use debt as a means of controlling them.
The search for better employment, she cautioned, can therefore expose women to jobs and conditions they never intended to accept.
She urged prospective migrants to seek accurate information about safe and regular migration pathways while calling for stronger economic opportunities within fishing communities to reduce the pressure to migrate through dangerous channels.
Women’s Livelihoods at Stake
Prof. Isaac Okyere of the Africa Ocean Institute at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) noted that women are among the groups hardest hit by declining fish stocks because they dominate several activities within Ghana’s post-harvest fisheries sector.
These include fish smoking, drying, processing, transportation and marketing.
He explained that when fish supplies decline, the consequences go beyond individual traders and processors.
Entire households can suffer reduced incomes, while children’s education, food security and local economic activity can also be affected.
Prof. Okyere warned that without decisive measures to rebuild fish stocks, more women could become trapped in cycles of debt, unemployment and economic vulnerability.
He noted that Ghana has experienced serious pressure on its fish stocks since the 1990s and early 2000s as fishing intensity increased.
He cautioned that the continued use of illegal and destructive fishing methods, with light fishing being a major concern, could further undermine the sustainability of the country’s fisheries sector.
He therefore called for proactive measures to protect marine resources before the situation becomes even more difficult to reverse.
Calls for Stronger Enforcement
Fishers are calling on the Government, the Fisheries Commission and law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts to combat light fishing and other destructive fishing practices.
They want stronger monitoring, effective enforcement of fisheries legislation, prosecution of offenders and measures to prevent political interference in the enforcement of fisheries laws.
They also called on traditional authorities, fisher associations, community leaders and civil society organisations to intensify public education on the long-term consequences of illegal fishing.
However, stakeholders stressed that enforcement alone may not be sufficient.
They advocated expanded access to affordable credit, business development support, vocational training and alternative livelihood programmes for women and young people in fishing communities.
Experts also suggested greater investment in aquaculture, fish value addition, agro-processing and other sustainable enterprises that can generate reliable incomes while reducing excessive dependence on dwindling marine resources.
Protecting Ghana’s Blue Economy
Stakeholders emphasised that protecting Ghana’s fisheries is not merely an environmental responsibility but also an economic necessity.
Millions of people depend directly and indirectly on fisheries for food, employment and income. Any further deterioration of fish stocks therefore poses a threat to household livelihoods, food security and coastal economies.
Prof. Okyere noted that tackling light fishing and rebuilding fish stocks could improve fish landings, strengthen household incomes and reduce the economic pressures that contribute to irregular migration.
He stressed that the country must treat the depletion of its marine resources as a national economic concern requiring coordinated action from government, industry players, traditional authorities, civil society and coastal communities.
The Media’s Role in Driving Solutions
The media also has a critical role to play in addressing the growing connection between declining fish stocks, light fishing, mounting debt, economic vulnerability and irregular migration.
Journalism must go beyond reporting the consequences of illegal fishing and irregular migration and increasingly focus on solutions.
Through sustained investigative and solution-oriented reporting, journalists can expose gaps in enforcement, amplify the voices of affected women and communities, scrutinise government interventions and highlight practical measures capable of restoring livelihoods.
The media can also create platforms that bring together female fishers, policymakers, traditional authorities, fisheries experts, civil society organisations, financial institutions and migration experts to discuss practical solutions.
Giving affected women a stronger voice in these discussions is particularly important because they experience the economic consequences of declining fish landings firsthand.
Reporting on irregular migration should also avoid sensationalism and stigmatisation.
Women who migrate because of economic hardship should be treated with dignity, while reporting should examine the structural conditions influencing their decisions, including poverty, indebtedness, limited livelihood opportunities and declining natural resources.
Solution journalism can further track government and development interventions after they are announced to determine whether promised livelihood programmes are reaching women in fishing communities and whether beneficiaries are receiving adequate support.
Protecting the Sea, Protecting Lives
For generations, Ghana’s coastal communities have depended on the sea for food, income and survival.
Today, declining fish catches, rising operating costs and mounting debts are turning that source of hope into a growing source of uncertainty.
The experiences of fish processors and fishermen in Moree, Elmina and Cape Coast demonstrate that the consequences of illegal fishing extend far beyond the marine environment.
When fish stocks decline, businesses suffer. When businesses suffer, household incomes fall. When incomes collapse and debts accumulate, vulnerable people may begin searching for alternatives elsewhere—including dangerous migration routes.
Addressing light fishing is therefore not only about conserving fish.
It is about protecting livelihoods, strengthening coastal economies, safeguarding food security and reducing the economic desperation that can push vulnerable women towards irregular migration.
Ghana’s response must therefore combine effective enforcement with sustainable fisheries management, livelihood support, access to finance, public education and stronger opportunities for women and young people in coastal communities.
The future of Ghana’s fisheries—and the livelihoods of the communities that depend on them—will ultimately depend on how urgently the country acts today.
