‘Polifishians’ and dwindling fish stock pt.1
“Sea never dry” is one of the many popular writings on fishing vessels seen along the beaches from Keta in the Volta Region to Half Assini in the westernmost part of Ghana. It is said to show how impossible it is for the vast sea resources to dry up. Yes, it is unimaginable for the sea to dry up, but one thing is clear, the fish stock in the sea can “dry up,” reducing the sea to only transportation and hydrocarbon production. Statistics obtained on Sardinella [Emane], Anchovies [Keta school boys] and Mackerel from the Fisheries Commission on the status of fish stock from 1980 to 2014 paints a gloomy picture. “These species have been decreasing sharply since 2007 and have reached in 2014 about 15% of the maximum landings realized in 1996. This trend will soon lead to the collapse of the resources and the fisheries sector,” Sustainable Fisheries Management Project, SFMP observes. “Current fishing pressure [Number of boats and fishing trips] on small pelagic fis