Documenting perceptions and misconceptions of shark conservation among students in Ghanaian coastal communities within the context of shark tourism

Abstract

In Ghana, students have rarely been engaged in shark conservation programs. The study aimed to provide the perceptions and misconceptions about sharks among students in Ghana. From the Western region of Ghana, two senior high schools were visited from March to June 2023, and 111 questionnaires were administered to them with the assistance of a resident teacher. Most of these students believe that i) sharks do not eat humankind as food, ii) fishing activities do not affect shark behavior, iii) the decline in fish does not affect the shark population, and iv) fishermen in Ghana face a lot of shark attacks. On perceptions, most of the students perceived that i) shark fishing should not be stopped, ii) shark ecotourism will yield more money than shark fishing, and iii) MPAs will conserve shark population in Ghana. From the study, it was evident that knowledge and attitudes showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.61). Therefore, incorporating shark related topics into the curricula of schools, taking students on educational tours to the fishing communities, and engaging them in outreach programs will enlighten their knowledge of sharks and foster their awareness of shark conservation and shark ecotourism in Ghana.