Child Labor and Child Well-Being: The Case of Children in Marine Fishing in Ghana

Abstract

Children have the right to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous, interfere with their education, and harmful to their health or social development. However, many children find themselves working in the precarious occupation of marine fishing in Ghana. The study demonstrates that child workers in marine fishing were mostly family relations. Marine fishing in children’s lives is seen as an integral part of the socialization process and a means of transmitting skills in preparation for responsible adulthood. Coupled with the inability of households to meet children’s basic needs resulting from poverty and that most children do not go to school therefore forces children to engage in marine fishing to improve their conditions. The absence of enforcement of the legislation against child labor has offered fishermen a free field in which to operate. Moreover, the study indicates that by just enforcing the laws against child labor or providing fishermen with adequate, modern equipment would not reduce child labor, given livelihood motivations. Due to the complex nature of the phenomenon, it is recommended that a comprehensive study on child labor and the fishing industry in Ghana be conducted to enable a holistic understanding and approach to eliminating the problem.