Claim: President John Mahama and the NDC promised no closed season in 2025
Source: Social media
Verdict: False
Researched by Gifty Tracy Aminu
Viral claims on social media platforms, including Facebook and X, suggest that as an opposition candidate ahead of the 2024 elections, John Dramani Mahama promised not to implement the “closed season” for all fisherfolk when voted into power.
The claim, which has gained significant traction online since June 24, 2025, comes with captions such as: “President Mahama and the NDC promised not to have this ‘closed season.’ In fact, they mock (ed) Yawa (Hawa) Koomson about this (these) events. Now, they are doing same.”
The posts started circulating 24 hours after the government’s announcement on June 23, 2025, of the 2025 closed season for specific fishing activities from July 1 to August 31, 2025.
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What is the closed season?
Closed Fishing Season (closed season), according to the Fisheries Commission, is a fallow period that allows fish to maximise recruitment potential during the annual peak spawning period before being harvested by fishermen. (See page 3).
“The closed season serves as a management measure aimed at rebuilding depleted fish stocks and optimizing the spawning potential of the fisheries. The long-term goal is to increase the biomass and yield of both small pelagic and demersal species, thereby enhancing the benefits of the fisheries resource for livelihoods and food security,” the Commission adds.
Fact-check
According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the 2025 closed season will affect two out of three fishing groups.
The directive indicates that industrial trawlers will experience a two-month closed season from July 1 to August 31, 2025, while Semi-industrial inshore vessels will be restricted from fishing for a month starting July 1 and ending July 31, 2025. There was no closed season for artisanal fishers this year.
The sector minister, Emelia Arthur, further highlighted this in a post on X, which said, “Please note that Artisanal fishing (or Canoe fishing) is NOT affected by the closed season for 2025.”
Did President Mahama promise not to engage in the close season ritual?
GhanaFact noted that the claim stemmed from a promise President John Mahama made during his campaign tours as flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
On August 12, 2024, President John Mahama held a town hall meeting with the youth at the Bokum Boxing Arena, where he said, “I met the fishing groups about a month and a half or two months ago. I went to the Tema fishing harbour and met them, and I announced there that when we come, there will be no closed season for artisanal fishermen…” (40:40 to 41 minutes)
Further investigation shows that as far back as March 2023, the President promised during the campaigns that artisanal fishermen would not be affected by the closed season directives, but industrial trawlers.
From the above details, it is evident that the President always referred to artisanal fishers only during his promise of ‘no closed season.’
Verdict
Claims suggesting President Mahama promised not to implement a closed season for all fisherfolk are False.
