An industrial fisher is pushing for Ghana to consider introducing a one percent (1%) Fish Conservation Tax to help in developing a sustainable blue economy.
Jerome Deamesi, an executive member of Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association, suggests that the proposed tax should be charged on all fish landed (marine and inland) and all fish imported into the country.
This small tax, if properly collected at ports and landing sites, could generate significant revenue annually, without overburdening fishers or traders that could be used to develop a sustainable fishing industry and marine biodiversity.
“The revenue can be channeled into a dedicated Fisheries Development and Conservation Fund to support Stock monitoring and management; Enforcement and patrols; Training for fishers and observers; Safety-at-sea and gear support; and Innovation in aquaculture and post-harvest practices”, he recommended in a post he shared while making reference a similar system used by Missouri, in the United States. “This ensures that all actors especially importers, who currently do not contribute to local fishery conservation help fund the sector.
He emphasized that, “As I always say it, artisanal fishing is often spoken or looked at in terms of livelihood support or subsistence. But while this is partly true, it is important to recognize the full reality. Fishing is a business, and like all businesses, its end goal is to sell a product and make profit”.
“Whether it’s a canoe owner selling to a market woman or an industrial trawler exporting to Asia or selling to the women at the cold stores the activity is commercial, and must therefore be managed, taxed, and supported with that understanding. It takes people who understand business and the economics around it.”
Business Development Unit or Division at Fisheries Commission
Mr Deamesi further indicated that, “We have been advocating for a business development unit or division for some years now, but it has never materialized. The idea that our current staff at the Commission and the ministry can understand the economics around our trade is untenable and misleading.
“The Fisheries Commission has a duty to protect the interests and sustain the livelihoods of its key constituents the fishers. Unfortunately, this core responsibility appears increasingly neglected. Rather than supporting the actual practitioners on the ground, resources are being funneled into activities that offer little or no direct value to the sector.
“In my own opinion, I find it hogwash, or should i say, it is deeply disappointing and frankly, indefensible to witness Fisheries Commission staff (with no malice intended) sent abroad for training in commercial ventures like aquaculture, only for that knowledge to retire with them or gather dust in reports. Meanwhile, there are real fishers and entrepreneurs within Ghana who, if given the same opportunity, could implement, innovate, create jobs, and even generate foreign exchange for the country”.
“Such actions under the guise of “capacity building” often become exercises in tokenism, offering no tangible return to the sector or the economy. If capacity building is truly the goal, then:
Let it focus on practitioners who are active in the business.
Let it result in implementation, not just certificates.
Let it be tied to performance and accountability.”
A Shift from Bureaucracy to Impact
Some other industry players have indicated that, Ghana’s fisheries sector is a business sector, and so, therefore the focus must shift from bureaucracy to impact, from internal capacity to industry-wide capacity, and from box-ticking to real, measurable change.
They believe it is time to redirect training, funding, and policy focus toward the actual players – the canoe owners, aquaculture entrepreneurs, processors, and vessel operators who have the capacity and motivation to transform the sector.
Anything less is not just a missed opportunity, but it is a disservice to the very people the Commission exists to serve.
Ghana’s fisheries sector cannot grow if we continue to treat it with a subsistence mindset, Deamesi argues.
Resetting Fishing Industry
“Let’s reset our fisheries, our minds and our commitments toward a better financial viable industry.
“Fishing, whether artisanal or industrial, aquaculture or wild catch is a business, and those engaged in it are entrepreneurs. Yet, the financial system and regulatory structures in Ghana still treat fishers and fish farmers as beneficiaries of charity, not as active players in the economy”, Mr Deamesi noted.
“As a young Ghanaian with a bold vision to build a high-end, high-value aquaculture business as well as a trawl business, I have explored funding opportunities from international partners ready to support innovation. The problem is not interest from abroad – the problem is the guarantee required from Ghana. And like many young people in this space, I face the same harsh reality:
No collateral of that value.
No landed property to pledge.
No institutional support from the state to help de-risk the investment.
“Meanwhile, the Fisheries Commission, which should be leading efforts to empower practitioners, remains focused on workshops and capacity-building programs that do not result in implementation, or job creation and the prosperity of the fishers. This must change.”
What Needs to Be Done
Mr Deamesi listed some initiatives that could help develop the industry:
1.Create a National Fisheries Credit Guarantee Scheme.
The Fisheries Commission, working with the Ministry of Finance and Bank of Ghana, should establish a credit guarantee facility that helps de-risk loans taken by fishers and aquaculture entrepreneurs. This will give banks the confidence to lend without demanding excessive collateral from youth who have strong ideas but limited assets.
2. Partner with Financial Institutions to Develop Sector-Specific Loans.
Fisheries and aquaculture have their own risks and cash flow cycles. Standard loan products don’t work. We need tailored financial services, including:
Flexible repayment structures
Low-interest, medium-term loans or long-term loans
Grace periods aligned with production cycles
3. Train and Certify Youth Practitioners for Credit Access.
Instead of sending staff abroad for training, let’s invest in building a national pool of certified youth practitioners in fisheries and aquaculture who are ready to receive and utilize funding responsibly.
4. Recognize Fishers as Entrepreneurs, Not Beneficiaries.
As long as the system treats fishers as poor people to be supported rather than entrepreneurs to be invested in, real transformation will never happen. Ghana must shift its policy and financial focus to support those who are ready to build.
In concluding, he posited that, “Ghana’s youth are ready to take bold steps in fisheries and aquaculture not just to feed the nation, but to build businesses, export premium-quality products, and create sustainable jobs. We are not short on ideas, drive, or vision. What we lack is a system that meets us halfway.
“The Fisheries Commission must evolve beyond its administrative role. It must become an enabler actively facilitating access to finance, credit guarantees, and investment partnerships for real practitioners, especially young people with the ambition and capacity to transform the sector.”
