Spotlighting Women-Led Fisheries Livelihoods Toward Sustainable Coastal Governance: The Estuarine and Mangrove Ecosystem Shellfisheries of West Africa

Abstract

The governance of coastal and marine resources remains a complex socio-ecological endeavor in many African countries, but women are leading the way and demonstrating a pathway for food fish security through rights-based co-management of shellfisheries in estuarine and mangrove ecosystems in West Africa. We report comprehensively, for the first time, the scale of estuarine and mangrove ecosystem-based shellfisheries across the West African coast (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria), the gender dynamics, and implications for the sustainable management of this small-scale fishery. We find an extensive geographical coverage of active shellfisheries within these ecosystems with close to 571,000 household beneficiaries and over 50,000 harvesters, mainly women, being the primary resource users. An annual shellfish harvest of over 300,000 MT valued at USD 336 million is potentially undocumented across the region. Harvested shellfish species of economic importance comprised 18 species of mollusks, 11 species of crustaceans, and a few unidentified groups of gastropods, crustaceans, and cephalopods. The West African mangrove oyster, periwinkle, bloody cockle, whelk, and razor clam were, in that order, the most harvested estuarine shellfish. The bivalve and gastropod value chains are dominated by women harvesters at all nodes whereas women play significant roles in the processing and marketing of crustacean and cephalopod fisheries. Formal laws specific to the regulation of estuarine shellfisheries are generally nonexistent, however, the organized women shellfish harvester groups of the Tanbi wetlands (The Gambia) and Densu Delta (Ghana) have championed sustainable governance actions resulting in successful women resource user-led fisheries co-management. The elements of success and opportunities for scaling up these examples are discussed. The presence of such groups in several locations offers an entry point for replicating a similar co-management approach across the West African coast.

The future of gender research in small‐scale fisheries: Priorities and pathways for advancing gender equity

“…The collection of gender-disaggregated data enables SSF research to challenge assumptions about the roles of all genders. For example, a recent study of West African shellfisheries found that women not only play a significant role as processors and traders, as is largely discussed in the literature, but also as harvesters (Chuku et al, 2022).…”

“…Research has shown that progress on recognitional and procedural gender equity can yield policies and interventions that are more effective and improve the sector for all actors (Galappaththi et al., 2022). For instance, women's participation in the governance of West African shellfisheries has resulted in successful user‐led co‐management that improves resource sustainability (Chuku et al., 2022). Despite these benefits, women and other gender minorities continue to be underrepresented in SSF governance and decision‐making (Fisk et al., 2023; Galappaththi et al., 2022; Kleiber et al., 2015; Pedroza‐Gutiérrez & Hapke, 2022).…”

“…The collection of gender‐disaggregated data enables SSF research to challenge assumptions about the roles of all genders. For example, a recent study of West African shellfisheries found that women not only play a significant role as processors and traders, as is largely discussed in the literature, but also as harvesters (Chuku et al., 2022). Without gender‐disaggregated data, the important contributions of women and other gender minorities will continue to be overlooked, and the policies and programs shaped by these data will continue to be gender blind.…”

Biofouling of the Mangrove Oyster (Crassostrea tulipa, Lamarck, 1819) Cultivation: The West African Perspective

“…This could be ascribed to low interest and investment on the part of African governments and private sectors as well as researchers when it comes to the development and culture of the resource, although shellfish production has great potential to contribute to food and nutritional security, livelihoods, and employments. According to a recent regional study on the evaluation of coastal shellfisheries covering eleven (11) West African countries, more than 300,000 mt of shellfish were landed annually, with an appraised value of USD 336 million [2]. With the appropriate policy and enforcement interventions from regional and national fishery bodies, the yield of these fisheries could be optimized to meet the growing demand of fish.…”

Isolation and evaluation of local microalgal isolates as feed for larval rearing of Crassostrea tulipa towards optimisation of mangrove oyster seed production in Ghana

“…Crassostrea gasar ), is the most exploited estuarine shellfish along the coast of West Africa (Chuku, Effah, et al., 2022; Yankson, 2004). The fishery of the oyster and other estuarine shellfish was valued at about US$300 million in 2021 alone (Chuku, Effah, et al., 2022). The meat of the oyster is a cheap source of animal protein, and the oyster trade provides a livelihood for the vulnerable in communities (women and children).…”