Social resilience and the blue economy: A study on fishermen in coastal communities in Ghana

Fishing is the most notable human activity in the ocean because many people including the poor, vulnerable, and less advantaged earn their living directly or indirectly. However, fishing practices have been recognized to have an effect on the sustainability of the ocean, which calls for concern (referred to as the blue economy). The social resilience of marine communities is key to achieving a blue economy and an essential aspect of sustainability in environmental management, particularly in resource-dependent communities. Previous studies on social resilience have neglected the social resilience state of marine communities, the determinants of such social resilience, and its relationship to the blue economy. We employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design to collect and analyze data on 491 coastal artisanal fishermen across nine semi-urban, two urban, and 16 villages in Ghana. Principal Component Analysis was employed to determine the factors contributing to the fishermen's social resilience. At the same time, a binary logistic model was employed to examine the relationship between social resilience and demographic characteristics. Using a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree, agree, don’t know, disagree, and strongly disagree) on four major components, fishermen self-assess their expected well-being. Social resilience of fishermen in the study can be explained by four broad characteristics: the risk perception emanating from change, planning, learning, and reorganization ability; how people perceive their ability to cope with change; and the interest level of individuals in a prospective change. Also, demographic variables significantly determine the state of social resilience. Specific policy measures for strengthening social resilience at the local level could target building community social capital by helping fishermen form self-help associations, and developing community economic and social infrastructures that could provide alternative source of livelihood.