Election Year, Directives and the Manomas : Implications For Fisheries Management In Ghana. Background Fishing in coastal communities in Ghana is not just an occupation, it's a way of life. Every activity in fishing communities relies on fishing. That is what sustains every economic activity in these communities and so as catches decline, economic life in these communities begins to gasp for air - the money that fishing brings. The government of Ghana through the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) recognises this all-important sector and the need for change to sustain it. With this understanding, the Fisheries Commission of MoFAD created the momentum for change through the release of the Republic of Ghana Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector Development Plan (2011–2015) and the National Marine Fisheries Management Plan (NMFMP). Both plans acknowledge that Ghana’s fisheries are falling well short of providing sustainable benefits for the 2.7 million p