Climate change threatens fisheries and coastal livelihoods in Keta

For two consecutive months, Millicent ‘Mama’ Dzissah, a 45-year-old fishmonger and retailer at Vodza near Keta, has watched her livelihood slip away as dwindling fish stocks in Ghana’s Volta Region coastal waters leave fishermen returning with little or no catch.

The shortage has cut off Ms Dzissah, a mother of five, from her fish supply, deprived her household of its main source of income, and underscored the growing hardship facing fishing-dependent families already bearing the brunt of climate change.

According to her, the decline in fish stocks has intensified over the past decade, steadily eroding the livelihoods of women who depend on artisanal fishing. “I have been in the fish business for about 25 years, but going two months or more without trading has become common in the last 10 years,” she said.

The scarcity has also driven fish prices sharply higher. “A container of fish weighing between 60kg and 80kg now sells for GH¢1,300, but in the past, that same amount could buy three to four containers,” she added.

Climate pressure on the sea

Studies show climate change is already affecting Ghana’s marine ecosystems, particularly small pelagic species such as sardinella, anchovy and mackerel—key sources of food and employment. Catches have declined significantly over the past three decades, with some stocks falling to less than 10 per cent of early 1990s levels due to overfishing and ocean warming (CSIS, 2024).

With supplies dwindling, Ms Dzissah has turned to alternative income sources, selling sachet water and a locally brewed hibiscus drink, ‘sobolo’, to support her household. “There are limited economic opportunities here. This is what I do to earn a little income for my family, but the returns are woefully insufficient,” she said.

The combination of rising prices and declining supply is squeezing profit margins for small-scale fish traders and deepening economic strain across fishing households in Keta.

A senior academic at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Daniel Adjei-Boateng, said climate change is emerging as a significant threat to Ghana’s fisheries sector, marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods.

While overfishing and illegal practices remain major challenges, he noted that rising sea temperatures, shifting ocean currents, sea-level rise and coastal erosion are compounding the crisis. For communities like Keta—where fishing is both an economic activity and a way of life—the risks are profound.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) also notes that changing rainfall patterns and reduced freshwater inflows can limit nutrient supply to coastal ecosystems, weakening fish reproduction, migration and productivity in small-scale fisheries.

Fishermen under strain

Irregular rainfall patterns across the Keta enclave are believed to be contributing to declining fish stocks, with effects felt across the entire artisanal fishing value chain. As sea surface temperatures rise in the Gulf of Guinea, many fish species are migrating to cooler waters, forcing artisanal fishers to travel farther offshore.

According to the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, 1,515 canoes were operating along the Volta Region coastline as of April 2026, with 72 based in Vodza.

Fishermen and canoe owners say they are bearing the brunt of the crisis. Many report drastically lower catches and rising operational costs, as they spend longer hours at sea and consume more premix fuel in search of fish.

A 70-year-old canoe owner and Deputy Chief Fisherman at Vodza, Moses Nutsugah, said sea erosion has become a recurring challenge, occurring every four to five years and damaging canoes, nets and landing beaches.

“In the past, we used to have bumper harvests just 10 to 20 metres offshore. Now, fishermen must travel between 18 and 30 kilometres to catch very little fish or return empty-handed. About 10 years ago, I could catch around 200 kilograms, but now it takes divine intervention to catch more than 10 kilograms,” he said.

Amid the crisis, Mr Nutsugah now relies on financial support from relatives in Accra and Kumasi. “There are no viable economic opportunities here. I depend on family members who sometimes assist me,” he added.

Coastline under siege

Keta remains one of Ghana’s most climate-vulnerable coastal areas. Shoreline erosion, tidal surges and sea-level rise continue to threaten homes, landing beaches and fish processing facilities, while saltwater intrusion risks damaging the Keta Lagoon’s role as a nursery for fish.

Recent developments reflect these long-standing threats. In Fuveme in the Anloga District, tidal waves have destroyed fishing assets, homes and critical infrastructure, crippling the local fishing economy.

The latest erosion episode in April 2026 submerged large sections of the community and swept away a sandbar built as a temporary defence, significantly narrowing the land buffer between the Atlantic Ocean and the Volta River and raising concerns about the possible formation of a new estuary.

A fisherman at Atiteti-Fuveme, Amos Agboado, warned that the impact could extend beyond marine fishing. “We fear seawater intrusion into the Keta Lagoon and surrounding inland water bodies, which could affect breeding conditions for tilapia and mudfish,” he said.

Residents say constructing sea defence infrastructure is critical to protecting communities and sustaining livelihoods. Mr Agboado also proposed the construction of a canal between the ocean and the lagoon to regulate seawater inflows and stabilise salinity levels.

Policy gaps, urgent choices

At the policy level, Ghana’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Policy emphasises climate resilience, including transitioning fishers from wild capture to aquaculture to reduce pressure on marine stocks. However, as the policy enters its final year, many in Keta say there is little evidence of improvement in their livelihoods.

A 2023 analysis in the UCC Law Journal identified weak enforcement, low compliance and limited institutional capacity as key constraints in the fisheries sector.

The Fisheries Commission has launched a $1.3 million, three-year initiative to operationalise the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, including plans for a Development Fund to support habitat restoration and research into climate-resilient fish species.

The initiative aligns with the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30×30 target, which aims to protect 30 percent of the world’s marine and terrestrial ecosystems by 2030.

Conclusion

Climate change is already reshaping Ghana’s fisheries landscape. In Keta, warming seas, shifting fish migration, coastal erosion and biodiversity loss are intensifying pressure on livelihoods and food security. Without urgent adaptation measures and stronger fisheries management, the country risks losing both critical marine ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them.

The writer is a Journalist

BY EDWARD ADJEI FRIMPONG

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