As the world marks World Fisheries Day 2025, the HELP Foundation Africa, Fisheries Alliance CSOs SDG 14 Platform, and Nsemkafo Consult have called for urgent action to restore Ghana’s fisheries and support coastal communities.
This year’s theme, “Reviving Ghana’s Fisheries for a Sustainable Blue Economy and Thriving Coastal Communities,” highlights the critical role of fisheries in food security, livelihoods, and the national blue economy.
The stakeholders warned that Ghana’s fisheries are at a crossroads, with declining fish stocks, illegal and unregulated fishing, climate change impacts, weak governance, and poor infrastructure threatening the sector.
These challenges, they said, put the livelihoods of over three million Ghanaians—including artisanal fishers, processors, and traders—at risk.
To address these challenges, the organisations are urging the government to implement stronger monitoring, enforce fisheries laws consistently, and promote science-based fishery management.
They also emphasised the need to modernise artisanal fishing, empower women in the sector, diversify economic opportunities in the blue economy, and integrate climate adaptation strategies to protect marine ecosystems.
Kwadwo Kyei Yamoah, Executive Director of HELP Foundation Africa and Convener of the Fisheries Alliance, said the recovery of Ghana’s fisheries requires collective action, political will, and responsible stewardship from all stakeholders, including government, fisherfolk, private sector partners, and civil society.
He added, “A healthy ocean means a healthy nation. Together, we can revive Ghana’s fisheries for generations to come.”
World Fisheries Day, celebrated annually on November 21, aims to highlight the importance of fisheries and coastal communities, drawing attention to overfishing, habitat destruction, and the need for sustainable management of marine resources.
