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Local Ecological Knowledge, Catch Characteristics, and Evidence of Elasmobranch Depletions in Western Ghana Artisanal Fisheries

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Abstract

We relied on local knowledge of fishers in five coastal communities in Ghana to investigate ecological factors that affect fishing for elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) and the changes in the abundance of sharks and rays from 1980 to 2020. We gathered data using participant observation, interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory rural appraisal techniques. The results revealed fisher’s understanding of six main ecological conditions, which have been applied over the years to improve fishing and maximize fisher catch: season and weather conditions, lunar phase, bait type, presence of seabirds and fish movement, the color of seawater, and sea current. Most elasmobranch species were abundant in 1980 but became severely depleted as of 2020, except Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) and Devil rays (Mobula spp.), shared by the fishers. We found fishers’ local ecological knowledge consistent with scholarly knowledge and call for its inclusion in research, decision-making, and management interventions by biologists and policymakers.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks go to the Zoological Society of London EDGE of Existence Program team members for their training, advice, and mentoring. My heartfelt appreciation to Benard Seret for his immense contribution, mentoring, advice, and guidance for the species identifications and towards the successful completion of the study. Finally, the Authors’ appreciation goes to Moro Seidu, Bukari Saphianu, Paul Tehoda, Emmanuel Amoah, Clement Sullibie Saagulo Naabeh, and Adomako Ohene as well as the local volunteers Isaac Assefuah, Kingford Amankwah, Jona Aquah, Timothy Amiah and Ben Adjei for their role in field data gathering. We are grateful to the Western Regional Fisheries Commission staff, chief fishers and their elders, fishers, traders, and people of the five study communities for their cooperation and support in making this study possible.

Funding

This work was supported by the Swiss Shark Foundation/ Hai-Stiftung, Save Our Seas Foundation and Flying Sharks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

    Issah Seidu, Emmanuel Danquah & Samuel K. Oppong

  2. Department of Silviculture and Forest Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

    Lawrence K. Brobbey

  3. Wildlife Conservation Society, Western Indian Ocean Shark and Ray Program, New York, USA

    David van Beuningen

  4. Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

    Nicholas K. Dulvy

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  1. Issah Seidu
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Contributions

Issah Seidu: Conceptualization, investigation, Methodology, formal analysis, fund acquisition, writing original draft, writing-review and editing. Lawrence K. Brobbey: Supervision, Methodology, writing original draft, writing-review and editing. Emmanuel Danquah: Supervision, Data curation, writing-review and editing. Samuel K. Oppong: Supervision, Data curation, writing-review and editing. David van Beuningen: Methodology, Writing -review & editing, supervision, formal analysis. Nicholas K. Dulvy: Supervision, Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing -review & editing.

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Correspondence to Issah Seidu.

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Seidu, I., Brobbey, L.K., Danquah, E. et al. Local Ecological Knowledge, Catch Characteristics, and Evidence of Elasmobranch Depletions in Western Ghana Artisanal Fisheries. Hum Ecol 50, 1007–1022 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-022-00371-z

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