Ghana’s Experience in Distant-Water Fisheries

Abstract

Ghana’s investment in a modern fishing industry includes fishing vessels of various ranges and sizes, costing over £25.6 million. There have also been heavy investments in infrastructure, such as the Tema fishing harbor, boatbuilding, cold storage, and repair and maintenance facilities. These investments were made to: improve the protein content of the Ghanaian diet; stop importation of frozen fish and fishery products; develop the skills of the fishing community; develop an export trade in fish.Efficient use of these investments has been hampered by various factors. Transition from a canoe to a sophisticated fishery of refrigerated trawlers and factory ships was too rapid. It was assumed that once the fishing industry was equipped with a modern fleet it would become self-supporting within a short time. But this was not the case because realization of this goal depended on: efficiency with which the fleet was operated, better handling and care of fish, better marketing and distribution methods, search for new grounds, and constant attention to conservation of stocks.Lack of finance made operation of the fleet difficult. Spare parts were not in adequate supply and at times vessels had to stop fishing for lack of them.Lack of local personnel led to dependence on alien captains, mates, engineers, and shore-based staff. The number of alien crew was high initially, but Ghanaians have gradually taken over key positions on the vessels.Ghana is the only West African state with a fleet of deep-sea trawlers. This situation and recent unilateral extensions of fishing limits by West African states have led to a new problem which might have far-reaching effects on the operation of the fleet.But Ghana’s attempt to participate in the exploitation and utilization of West African fishery resources should encourage other African states to similar efforts.