Important markets for marine fish sourced in Western Region Marketing systems and fish products

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2.2 Important markets for marine fish sourced in Western Region

With scarcely more than 10 of Ghana’s population, but 30 of its coastline and perhaps 20- 30 of the country’s landing sites, Western Region produces marine fish destined for markets throughout Ghana and beyond. It is an important source of fish despite its distance from Accra. Kumasi and Accra are important end-markets, to which fish is sent directly from Western Region. Smoked fish from Western region is also traded in many rural areas, e.g., in Ashanti Region, in inland parts of Western Region and in Central Region where it is consumed or sold- on. Limited amounts of smoked fish are also exported to regional countries and to Europe 6 .

2.3 Marketing systems and fish products

Most of the Western Region catch enters the processed smoked fish marketing chain 7 . Fish is purchased at the beach by resident traders, or by “short-term migrant” 8 traders residing there 6 20-30 importers in the UK, specialized in West African food products, import airfreighted smoked fish from Ghana and other West African countries Ward, 2003. 7 No fish drying has been observed by the WorldFish teams during visits to landings and adjacent processing areas in Western region. However, some fish is fermented see Section 3.2 and some fresh fish is fried for sale locally. 8 This term is used to distinguish these temporary migrants from the long-term migrants in Western Region, where many of the fishing communities have been settled for more than one generation by migrant fishers from other regions. Such short-term migrants or processors visiting for just one day tend to come from Central Region or from other places in Western Region. 50 100 150 200 250 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Va lu e M ill io n US D Vo lu me T hou sa n d To n n e s Figure 3: Food fish trade, Ghana, 1990‐2007 Import Volume Export Volume Import Value Export Value 14 temporarily during periods of abundant catch and low prices sometimes sub-contracting the smoking locally, or it is immediately transported back to the home base of visiting traders and sold to processors there. These outcomes depend on relative prices, with traders juggling considerations of fresh and processed fish prices, as well as processing and transport costs, all of which will vary depending on market conditions. Although some of the larger landings have cold storage facilities, only those in Sekondi seem to be operational at present for fish cold storage. Ice can also be purchased in Sekondi port – for use by boats and sometimes for transport of fresh fish to a more distant processing centre. As elsewhere in Ghana, women are dominant in traditional fish processing and trade – be it in large- or small-scale operations. This position is long-standing as indicated by their traditional roles too analogous to the Chief Fishermen, which, interestingly, include roles in coastal areas and inland markets underlining the historical importance of fish trade in Ghana. At landing centres, the “konkohene” or Queen Mother whose role dates to the early 20 th century sets or influences the prices at which all fish is sold from the boats on that day. Women traders may advance fishing trip costs to boat-operators and this will give them access to that boat’s catch. There is some indication of erosion of these systems e.g., in Sekondi, where prices are negotiated on an individual basis, particularly in places with improved landing facilities allegedly in places where landing fees are payable or where there are particularly successful and powerful fish mongers. More generally, there is some variation from place to place in precise roles and how the arrangements work in practice 9 , but the important role of women in fish marketing in Ghana is universal. In Western Region, smoking is the most common form of processing. Women use so-called Chorkor kilns, where fish is slowly smoked on stacked racks, with relatively efficient use of fuel wood and producing a relatively evenly-smoked product. The way in which the fish are prepared depends on the size and type of fish.

2.4 The economic importance of fisheries in Western Region