The annual July fishing closed season, aimed at rebuilding Ghana’s declining fish stocks, has intensified economic hardship for fishing households, particularly women and children, a new Sankofa research study has revealed.

The Creating Synergies between Indigenous Practices and Scientific Knowledge (ISIPSK), popularly known as the Sankofa research project, was led by the University of St Andrews in Scotland in collaboration with Ghana’s Fisheries Commission and other stakeholders.

Conducted across eight major fishing communities in Ghana’s four coastal regions, the study found that while the closed season allows fisherfolk time to rest and repair gear, it also halts income for many households.

About 70 per cent of fisherfolk surveyed said fishing was their sole source of livelihood, leaving families vulnerable during the one-month closure.

The report noted that the economic strain reduces household food security, increases school absenteeism among children, and contributes to rising social vices in coastal communities.

Women, in particular, bear a disproportionate burden, taking responsibility for household upkeep when male fishers cannot provide income or food.

“During the closed season, women carry the weight of feeding the family and managing household expenses,” the report stated, describing the impact as “distinctly gendered.”

The study also found that some youth migrate to illegal small-scale mining areas during the closure in search of income, worsening environmental degradation and exposing them to health risks.

The researchers called for livelihood diversification programmes and social protection measures to cushion vulnerable fishing households during the closed season.

While 82 per cent of fisherfolk agreed urgent action is needed to halt the decline in fish stocks, only 26 per cent believed a July closure effectively rebuilds depleted resources.

Small pelagic species such as sardinella and anchovies – popularly known as “the people’s fish” – are reportedly on the brink of collapse, threatening food security for millions of Ghanaians.

Some fishermen argued that July does not align with indigenous ecological knowledge, which identifies May and June as a natural fishing lull due to rough seas.

“The closed season is not a bad idea, but it would be better in June instead of July to align with the natural period the sea closes itself,” a fisher in the Greater Accra Region said.

The report added that the July closure sometimes drives fishers to intensify fishing before and after the period, occasionally using illegal methods to recover lost income.

Researchers recommended that future fisheries management policies integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific data to improve compliance and sustainability.