Samuel Tetteh, Ghana’s 2023 Metro Best Fisherman, has issued a stark warning that pollution and toxic fishing practices are pushing the nation’s fisheries toward collapse.
Speaking on Connect FM’s Orokodo News, he accused irresponsible fishers of using dynamite, DDT, and carbide—substances poisoning marine life and slashing annual catches far below Ghana’s 400-metric-ton potential.
“Human waste dumped into the sea and these deadly chemicals are killing our future,” Tetteh declared. He dismissed officials’ focus on light fishing as misguided, stressing that chemical toxins and offshore oil operations are the primary threats. Warming oceans, he added, compound the crisis.
Tetteh challenged the government’s neglect of artisanal fishers compared to cocoa farmers. “Cocoa farmers get price adjustments—what do we get? Who speaks for us?” he lamented, noting minimal budget support forces fishers to self-fund livelihoods.
His demands were urgent: The Fisheries Commission must lead ocean clean-ups and deploy toxin-detection tech to halt contaminated catches. “Identifying poisonous fish is a health priority,” he insisted, urging the Fisheries Minister to engage directly with fishers for effective solutions. “Without intervention, Ghana loses protein and jobs.”
