Ghana's fishers become citizen scientists

Ghana’s marine fisheries resources are a source of livelihoods for around 10% of the country’s population. They provide 80% of the country’s gross fish production and are a direct source of food and income for over 200 coastal communities.

However, around the world many marine fisheries have collapsed or are on the verge of collapse as a result of overfishing - and Ghana is no exception.

The mainstay of Ghana’s fishing communities is the small pelagic fishery including chub mackerel and sardinella, known as the ‘people’s fish’. By 2020, almost 100% of sardinella landed by the industrial trawl fleet was below the legally accepted minimum size. This fishery is vital for local food security and livelihoods in Ghana, but it is on the brink of collapse.

This is where Ghana's closed season comes in.

Effective management of fisheries resources often demands an array of measures to ensure fish populations can support the livelihoods and food security of current and future generations.

A key measure to address overfishing is the use of seasonal restrictions on fishing effort, which prohibit fishing activities – either in a specific area or across an entire fishery – for a particular period of time. Also referred to as a seasonal closure or closed season, they are often imposed during the spawning period to give fish a chance to reproduce and replenish the population.

Such restrictions, when based on robust science and properly implemented, have the potential to provide conservation benefits and help make the fishery more economically sustainable.

Over the past decade, the closed season has allowed Ghana's fish populations to slowly recover.

Closed seasons were first introduced in Ghana for the industrial marine fishery (trawl) sector in 2016. In 2019, the measure was extended to all fishing fleets, including the artisanal sector.

In 2025, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture announced a closed season exemption for marine canoe artisanal fishers, asking that they comply with other traditional and statutory management measures, such as observing designated fishing holidays.

Since 2023, the Norway-funded Sustainable Oceans Project has additionally partnered with the Fisheries Commission to improve understanding of the value of the closed season by actively involving artisanal fishers in biological monitoring.

Selected fishers were trained as citizen scientists, contributing to fish sampling, data collection, and peer education.

EJF's teams have worked to assess the impact of this project over the last three years.

EJF interviewed 120 fishers across eight coastal communities in Ghana about biological monitoring during the closed season.

The communities covered included:

The participants reported that once they became involved in the biological monitoring of the closed season, 80% understood the science behind it and felt pride in contributing to the fish population's recovery.

As participants, the fishers played varied roles in the monitoring exercise, each reporting engaging in at least one of the following: assisting in the sourcing of fish for analysis, measuring and gutting of fish, data entry, and educating fishers about the closed season.

The majority of the fishers were involved in measuring and gutting fish, which helped them to observe firsthand the biological indicators.

One fisher, Emmanuel Arthur, told EJF: "I didn’t just measure fish – I explained to others why it was important. That made me feel good and proud to be contributing to protecting our resource."

Nana Kow Panyin from Apam also told EJF:

"Before implementation, we did not understand the relevance of the closed season, but after the 2nd year and [a lot of] education, we have come to see the benefits."

Ruben Jefferson Ocansey, Greater Accra Regional Chairman for the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana, said:

"My fishers today have a good understanding of the various maturity stages of fish… They are also able to educate their peers.”

Dr. Edna Quansah, EJF's Science and Research Manager in Ghana, worked closely with the fisher communities on the inclusion project.

She shared:

"Our research shows clearly that the closed season is scientifically necessary and strongly supported by fishing communities themselves.

"The opportunity now is to deepen that support by ensuring communities are fully involved in shaping, implementing and monitoring these policies, and that enforcement is fair and consistent."

Hear more from Edna in the clip below.

As a result of the inclusion project, almost half of the 120 fishers trained as citizen scientists by EJF reported greater trust in regulators. An additional 92% showed strong scientific understanding, and 85% expressed a wish to participate in future training.

Jacob Okai, Chief Fisherman from Bortianor, told EJF, “We are many, and key players in the industry.

"When we are included from the start and understand the rationale behind the policy, we can reach more of our people than the Fisheries Commission."

Vida Samantha Osei, Deputy Director of Research, Fisheries Scientific Survey Division, told EJF:

"When you teach a fisherman, 'this is my resource, this is what I own, and I have to manage it well', they will take the responsibility of managing their fisheries."

EJF's produced a film introducing Ghana's 'Citizen Scientists of the Sea'.

Watch below.

During EJF’s engagements with fishing communities, fishers repeated a number of recommendations for improving the implementation of the closed season to make it more effective, inclusive, and sustainable. These form the basis of the recommendations to the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Fisheries Commission, including the below:

Ensuring closed season announcements are made early and clearly.

Intensifying and expanding educational initiatives, reaching more from the impacted communities through local media and community meetings.

Use local networks and meetings to disseminate the findings from biological and socio-economic monitoring.

Consider providing soft loans (provided on lenient terms, often with a zero percent interest rate) to alleviate financial hardship for fishers during closed season.

Strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing, to ensure the ecological benefits of closed season are truly felt.

To learn more about this project, read EJF's report here.

Watch our film including an interview with Dr. Edna Quansah here and find a link to 'Citizen Scientists of the Sea' here.

Find out more about EJF's work in Ghana and our wider fisheries projects on our website.

This publication has been produced with financial support from Norway. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Environmental Justice Foundation and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Government of Norway.