Issah Seidu, Lawrence K. Brobbey, Osei-Tutu Paul, David van Beuningen, Moro Seidu, Nicholas K. Dulvy
{"title":"Practices and informal institutions governing artisanal gillnet fisheries in Western Ghana","authors":"Issah Seidu, Lawrence K. Brobbey, Osei-Tutu Paul, David van Beuningen, Moro Seidu, Nicholas K. Dulvy","doi":"10.1007/s40152-024-00379-9","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding the informal institutions arising from cultural norms, taboos, and beliefs can improve conservation efforts and resource management in Africa. However, little is known of their potential for governing the management of artisanal gillnet fisheries, as well as, the practices and activities of fishers in Ghana. Here, we explore the practices of artisanal gillnet fishers landing shark and ray as their major components and the informal institutions governing the management of these fisheries. We interviewed 33 active and retired fishers in five fishing communities in Western Ghana, complemented with participant observations to collect data for the study. While fishing effort and the financing of fishing trips vary between fishers using drift gillnets and bottomset gillnets, the sharing systems and payment of crew members are relatively uniform in both fisheries and across the study communities. Despite the absence of state regulation, the species-specific taboos recorded offer protection for Whale Shark (<i>Rhincodon typus</i>) and whales (Cetacea), which are considered threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The role of modern religions (like Christianity and Islam) and the influx of different people with different values, beliefs, and cultures explain the erosion of some resource management taboos and beliefs. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of officially recognizing these informal institutions as legitimate institutions for the effective management of imperiled marine species targeted by gillnet fishers at the local level.</p>","PeriodicalId":45628,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Maritime Studies","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40152-024-00379-9","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Understanding the informal institutions arising from cultural norms, taboos, and beliefs can improve conservation efforts and resource management in Africa. However, little is known of their potential for governing the management of artisanal gillnet fisheries, as well as, the practices and activities of fishers in Ghana. Here, we explore the practices of artisanal gillnet fishers landing shark and ray as their major components and the informal institutions governing the management of these fisheries. We interviewed 33 active and retired fishers in five fishing communities in Western Ghana, complemented with participant observations to collect data for the study. While fishing effort and the financing of fishing trips vary between fishers using drift gillnets and bottomset gillnets, the sharing systems and payment of crew members are relatively uniform in both fisheries and across the study communities. Despite the absence of state regulation, the species-specific taboos recorded offer protection for Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) and whales (Cetacea), which are considered threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The role of modern religions (like Christianity and Islam) and the influx of different people with different values, beliefs, and cultures explain the erosion of some resource management taboos and beliefs. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of officially recognizing these informal institutions as legitimate institutions for the effective management of imperiled marine species targeted by gillnet fishers at the local level.
期刊介绍:
Maritime Studies is an international peer-reviewed journal on the social dimensions of coastal and marine issues throughout the world. The journal is a venue for theoretical and empirical research relevant to a wide range of academic social science disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, geography, history and political science. Space is especially given to develop academic concepts and debate. We invite original research papers, reviews and viewpoints and welcome proposals for special issues that make a distinctive contribution to contemporary discussion around maritime and coastal use, development and governance. The journal provides a rigorous but constructive review process and rapid publication, and is accessible to new researchers, including postgraduate students and early career academics.