Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Emelia Arthur has cautioned fishermen and fishmongers nationwide against illegal and unsafe fishing practices within the sector, as they endanger public health and contribute to shorter lifespans among Ghanaians.

Madam Arthur made this known while announcing the 2026 close season schedule, stressing that actions taken along the fisheries value chain now have direct consequences not only for the environment but also for public health.

She said the continued use of harmful fishing methods such as light fishing, dynamite, and chemical substances, while sometimes seen as a means to increase catch in the short term, has far-reaching consequences. 

The fisheries minister explained that they destroyed marine habitats, reduced fish populations, and contaminated the very food that ended up on the tables of citizens, with the long-term effect of consuming fish harvested through such dangerous methods being a growing public health risk that could not be ignored.

She mentioned that equally troubling was the use of formalin by some fishmongers as a preservation method, describing this practice as extremely dangerous, emphasising that formalin was a chemical meant for preserving dead bodies, not food for human consumption. 

She explained that its presence in fish sold on the market posed serious health threats, including damaging organs, other chronic conditions, and warned that such practices amounted to knowingly exposing consumers to harm and must be stopped immediately.

Madam Arthur mentioned that the responsibility of protecting public health could not be left to the government alone, stressing that fishermen, fishmongers, and community leaders all have a role to play in ensuring that the food they provide is safe and that their methods do not endanger lives.

She made it clear that economic hardship must not become a justification for endangering others and encouraged them to explore safer and more sustainable methods of fishing and fish preservation that protect both livelihoods and consumers.

The minister charged fishmongers and community members to take active steps in educating young people and promoting responsible choices as part of a wider effort to improve community wellbeing.