The Challenges of Managing Artisanal Fisheries in Ghana

Abstract

Artisanal fishery plays an important role in Ghanaian fishing industry contributing about 74% of total marine production. Managing this fishery has some identified challenges related to its open access nature and weak institutional structures to enforce management regimes enacted in the laws and regulations. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of current management systems for the sustainability of the fishery. The analysis was done with the application of the surplus production model (Gordon Schaefer, Walters, and Hilborn (WH), Schnute, Fox and Clarke Yoshimoto Pooley (CY&P), using the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) Linear regression with STATA and Microsoft Excel, were applied to determine the biological parameters using catch and effort data from 2000 to 2016 to assess their applicability. The Clarke, Yoshimoto Pooley (CY&P) model estimates a Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) of 251,806.69 tons and a corresponding effort of 6718.92 suggesting overcapacity in the current effort level. It is necessary for collaboration between traditional authorities and government agency to merge traditional and formal management systems into current laws and regulations to gradually modernize the management strategies implemented in the fishery.