While regional fisheries management organizations are attempting to harmonize measures such as closed seasons, the author warns that, without adequate support, these measures can harm small-scale fishing communities and fail to deliver the expected biological benefits. The author calls for careful consideration of these measures, taking into account social and environmental perspectives and ensuring the participation of the affected communities.
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Regional fisheries management in West Africa is poised to gain momentum with the forthcoming launch of the West Africa Sustainable Ocean Program (WASOP).
Funded by the European Union (EU) with an allocation of approximately €59 million over four years, the project brings together the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its implementing partners, the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) and the Fisheries Committee for the Central West Gulf of Guinea (FCWC). Collectively, these institutions aim to strengthen ocean governance, enhance fisheries monitoring, and promote the sustainable development of blue economies across the thirteen coastal ECOWAS member states.
In this context, the WASOP project presents a strategic opportunity to integrate coordinated technical measures, such as biological rest periods, into national and regional frameworks. Through collaboration between ECOWAS, SRFC, and FCWC, these measures could be implemented in a harmonized manner, particularly for shared small pelagic resources, while ensuring fairness and equity for small-scale fishing (SSF) communities throughout the region.
1. A regional biological rest period?
The introduction of coordinated biological rest periods at the regional level is a logical approach. Without harmonization among coastal states, some industrial and artisanal vessels simply shift their operations from one country to another during closed seasons, thereby displacing fishing pressure rather than reducing it. Regional coordination also makes it possible to pool monitoring, control, and surveillance resources, which are essential for ensuring effective enforcement during fishing closures.
Regional coordination becomes even more relevant when biological rest periods target resources shared among several countries, such as small pelagic species whose presence in national waters is seasonal. The timing of these closures must therefore take into account the migratory and seasonal patterns of these species.
At the same time, it is essential to strengthen the implementation of such measures to avoid negative impacts on SSF communities that depend on fish for their livelihoods. Appropriate accompanying measures are needed to support these communities during closure periods.
2. Support for FCWC and SRFC efforts to harmonize management measures
In recent years, coordination on biological rest periods within the FCWC (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Togo, Nigeria) has intensified. This effort was reinforced by the agreement reached in Lomé in May 2025 to establish a regional register of fishing vessels, along with joint monitoring and training initiatives led by the Regional MCS Center in Ghana. Joint patrols – initiated by Benin and Togo in 2022 and later expanded with European support through the PESCAO program – have further strengthened this cooperation. On the ground, several FCWC member countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin, have also increasingly aligned their biological rest periods.
Measures for the implementation of biological rest periods for member countries of the Fisheries Committee for the Central West Gulf of Guinea for 2024 and 2025. Gathered by CFFA from official government sources.
The SRFC (Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone) has recently intensified its efforts to improve the governance of small pelagic fisheries through closer cooperation with the FAO’s EAF-Nansen program.
At the SRFC ministerial meeting in Dakar in early July 2025, coinciding with the organization’s 40th anniversary, the EAF-Nansen program presented a policy brief on small pelagic fisheries management and a roadmap for developing a subregional framework. The program also hosted a stand showcasing tools and publications, including the documentary Sardinella: A Shared Responsibility. These initiatives aim to support SRFC Member States (particularly Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal) in scientific planning, resource assessment, and the design of coordinated measures for transboundary small pelagic species. Coordination of seasonal closures for shared stocks – or biological rest periods – is a key element of the proposed management measures. Similarly, at a meeting between men and women representing SSF professionals from the SRFC region on sardinella management, the African Confederation of Professional Organizations of Artisanal Fisheries (CAOPA) highlighted the need to synchronize fishing closure periods for both round and flat sardinella, given their transboundary nature.
At the same time, West African SSF communities – including both fishers and women involved in processing and marketing – express serious concern about the social and economic impacts of these measures
3. Biological rest: the limitations of a conservation measure
The biological rest periods are implemented to temporarily halt fishing, typically during the breeding season. In theory, this measure is intended to promote the regeneration of fish stocks, which are crucial for food security, employment, and marine biodiversity. However, in practice, the effectiveness of this approach varies significantly depending on its implementation.
“The implementation of a biological rest period alone is insufficient unless it is paired with planning aligned to reproductive cycles of targeted species, strict at-sea monitoring, and adequate resources for the enforcement authorities.””
Ecological outcomes can be underwhelming if the closure does not align with the species' biological cycles or if compliance is not enforced universally. For instance, the CAOPA report on sardinella management highlights that some rest periods do not coincide with the sardinella spawning season, thus reducing their effectiveness.
Additionally, challenges such as insufficient at-sea monitoring, limited resources for enforcement, and widespread illegal fishing during closures undermine the intended impact. Moreover, if systemic issues like overfishing and fishing overcapacity are not addressed, the benefits of the biological rest period may only be short-lived. When too many vessels and too much fishing gear target the same resource, a temporary closure is unlikely to make a lasting difference; as soon as the closure ends, fishing pressure quickly returns to unsustainable levels.
4. A key measure? At what cost and with what results?
For artisanal fishing communities, the biological rest period measure is not always understood. Authorities frequently impose these closures without adequately consulting the fishers, women fish processors, or conducting prior socio-economic impact assessments to mitigate the negative consequences. In the case of sardinella, CAOPA has emphasized that women processors have not been sufficiently involved in the design of this management measure, despite being directly impacted by fishing bans.
This issue is further compounded when enforcement is inconsistent between the artisanal and industrial sectors. While artisanal fishers are forced to halt their activities, industrial operations sometimes continue – either legally or illegally – creating a sense of injustice and exclusion. The lack of participation and the failure to assess social and economic impacts undermine the legitimacy of the measure among artisanal communities.
The social and economic repercussions of such measures can be severe, as demonstrated in Ghana. From 2019 to 2024, the Ghanaian artisanal fishing sector was subjected to a biological rest period. A 2024 study found that these closures did not lead to a significant increase in catches and that SSF communities faced lower incomes, reduced access to fish, and worsened living conditions. Research conducted in 2019 in the Sekondi region revealed that the closure was too short and poorly enforced to allow for meaningful stock regeneration. The lack of penalties for violations further diminished the potential benefits for artisanal communities.
“The introduction of biological rest periods should be preceded by a socio-economic impact assessment to anticipate and mitigate potential negative effects, and affected fishing communities should have access to food aid and support for diversifying their income sources.””
In response to these challenges, the Ghanaian government decided in March 2025 to suspend enforcement of the biological rest period for artisanal fishing to protect the livelihoods of the communities that depend on it. However, industrial trawlers were still required to comply with the annual two-month fishing ban.
Women processors are among the hardest hit by biological rest periods. Deprived of fish to process, they experience a sharp decline in income, with no compensation and few alternatives. This often exacerbates poverty in coastal communities. In countries like Benin and Côte d'Ivoire, where there is no provision for food aid or support for income diversification during the closures, women are forced to borrow money to feed their families. The timing of these closures, just before the start of the school year, further strains their financial resources, making it difficult to send children to school. Moreover, there are no compensation measures for those whose jobs are indirectly linked to artisanal fishing, such as net repairers and transporters.
A lack of clarity surrounding the implementation of biological rest periods is also a significant concern. For example, in February 2025, during a FCWC mission to Liberia, it was announced that a biological rest period would be imposed in 2025, but no details – such as the duration, timeline, or the sectors affected – have been communicated. Artisanal fishers and women fish processors have expressed their concern over the lack of information and are calling for vital support during this potential closure.
In the FCWC zone, as in the SRFC countries, the introduction of a biological rest period for small pelagics would have immediate socio-economic effects on communities that depend on artisanal fishing. These communities are central to the supply of fish – such as sardinella, bonga, and mackerel – to local markets. A seasonal closure would lead to a significant loss of income for thousands of fishers, processors, fishmongers, and vendors, increasing economic tensions and food insecurity in coastal regions. Additionally, the absence of local fish during the closure could increase reliance on frozen fish imports, destabilizing local markets even further.
5. Targeted support measures are essential: not too little, not too late
Several countries in the region have introduced support or loss compensation measures in response to biological rest periods, with varying levels of success.
In Ghana, the government launched a compensation program in kind in 2021, which included the distribution of rice and oil to affected artisanal fishers. However, a study reveals that the beneficiary selection process was highly controversial, with claims of lack of transparency and political interference, including nepotism. This has significantly undermined the legitimacy and social fairness of the scheme.
Support or compensation for income loss measures for fishing communities must be fair and agreed upon with the communities themselves. They mist arrive on time and be sufficient for communities to survive throughout the period. Photo: The fish market in Bissau, by Carmen Abd Ali.
In Guinea, the biological rest period applies to industrial and semi-industrial fishing, but not to small-scale fisheries, “in order to avoid disrupting the supply to local markets and to contain inflation on fishery products,” as explained by the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy. Despite this, the measure has still resulted in fish shortages on local markets. To mitigate this, in 2025, the government exempted duties and taxes on the import of 15,000 tons of fish to ensure product availability and avoid price increases for consumers.
Other countries in the region, including Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau, have adopted national small pelagic management plans that include seasonal rest periods, according to EAF-Nansen data. However, these plans often lack a strong socio-economic component, such as compensation for affected communities or the inclusion of women in the decision-making process.
Beyond the region, Tunisia has a Biological Rest Fund (FRB) designed to compensate for income losses during fishing closures. However, the fund predominantly benefits industrial trawlers, while artisanal fishers – who also contribute to the fund – are largely excluded, according to the Tunisian Association for Sustainable Fishing. This inequality undermines social justice and weakens the ecological effectiveness of the program. Many artisanal fishers continue their activities during the closure due to the lack of compensation, thus maintaining pressure on fish stocks and diminishing the impact of the biological rest period. Furthermore, the FRB suffers from poorly targeted subsidies, sometimes allocated to vessels that are not significantly affected by the restrictions, while those most reliant on artisanal fishery resources receive no support. The absence of rigorous enforcement during closure periods further weakens the effectiveness of the scheme in promoting stock recovery.
6. Towards fair and effective biological rest periods
For biological rest periods to become a true lever for sustainability, they must be part of a broader policy that balances ecological effectiveness, social justice, and participatory governance.
From an ecological perspective, biological rest periods will only have lasting impacts if they are integrated into a comprehensive strategy for sustainable fisheries management which implies a reduction of the global fishing effort. Simply suspending fishing activities during the reproductive season will have limited benefits if fishing pressure remains high during the rest of the year, or if destructive practices, such as trawling in sensitive areas or illegal fishing, continue unabated. A genuine reduction in overall fishing effort is needed, and this reduction must be designed with equity in mind, giving clear priority to small-scale fisheries, which are essential for both employment and food security.
It is also crucial that closure periods align scientifically with the reproductive cycles of the target species. SRFC countries can build on mechanisms such as the Committee for the Fisheries of the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) and the EAF-Nansen program, as well as existing national management plans. Fair enforcement between industrial and artisanal sectors is essential and should be supported by robust at-sea monitoring, joint patrols, and information-sharing through tools like the regional fishing vessel registry and Ghana's MCS center. Protecting critical habitats, spawning grounds, and nurseries, alongside promoting the use of selective fishing gear, must complement these efforts. Additionally, harmonizing closure schedules and pooling monitoring resources across countries, supported by technical and financial partners, should be encouraged – particularly through European initiatives such as WASOP.
On the social and economic front, biological rest periods must be paired with fair and transparent compensation mechanisms. Priority should be given to women fish processors and the most vulnerable households, while also offering solutions for economic diversification, such as training, microcredit, conservation infrastructure, and support for fish processing. Existing compensation funds need to be reformed to better address the needs of small-scale fisheries and to avoid the biases seen in countries like Tunisia, where industrial trawlers have largely captured the aid. Increasing transparency, involving professionals in defining criteria, and digitizing procedures will strengthen trust and improve the effectiveness of these mechanisms. A portion of these funds could also be reinvested into sustainable projects, such as coastal ecosystem restoration, small-scale aquaculture, artisanal infrastructure, or capacity-building initiatives.
In terms of governance, it is vital that small-scale fishing communities, including both men and women, are involved in defining, implementing, and evaluating biological rest periods. Following the model proposed by CAOPA for sardinella, joint commissions could be established between neighboring countries, bringing together small-scale fishers, women processors, and other sector professionals to ensure ongoing consultation with authorities and foster better local ownership of the measures.
The European Union should support the integration of coordinated biological rest periods into the WASOP project. Such a mechanism must ensure fairness by providing accompanying measures – compensation, diversification, and infrastructure – to support affected communities.
Ultimately, biological rest periods should not be viewed as an end in itself but as one of many tools for sustainable fisheries management. Their ecological effectiveness depends on the coherence of national and regional fisheries policies, while their social legitimacy hinges on the participation and support of the communities most affected. By combining resource protection, social equity, and shared governance, West African countries can transform biological rest periods from a social burden into a collective investment in the future of artisanal fisheries and regional food security.
Header photo: Woman fish processor from Guinea Bissau drying fish in the sun, in Cacheu, by Carmen Abd Ali.
When harmonising regional closed seasons in SRFC and FCWC regions, CFFA calls for considering social and environmental perspectives and ensuring the participation of affected communities.