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The potential use of water reservoirs exposed to cotton-fields effluents in northern Benin was explored for African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) production. A 120-day experiment was conducted to evaluate the rearing performance of C. gariepinus in two culture systems (cage and pen) tested each in two water reservoirs, one located within the cotton basin (Batran) and the other outside (Songhaï). Measured water physico-chemical parameters were within the tolerable limits for C. gariepinus. Survival rates were similar among treatments and above 92%. Water reservoir, culture system and their interaction influenced significantly the final mean body weight (g), specific growth rate (%/day), and condition factor (%). The highest values of these parameters were observed in fish from cages at Batran (701.09±38.82 g, 2.88±0.05, and 0.84±0.00), while the same culture system displayed the lowest values (296.83±19.95 g, 2.16±0.06, and 0.67±0.02), statistically similar to those obtained in pens at Songhaï. Feed utilization parameters were similar between the culture systems. Fish with high mean final body weight contained less water and more ash and gross energy (p

Literature on conservation science has documented the increasing use of the co-management approach to effectively conserve natural resources. Although some studies found the co-management approach as highly effective, others also reported some uncertainties associated with the use of this conservation approach. Using the mono transboundary biosphere reserve (MTBR) as a case study, this work assessed the effectiveness of the co-management approach for mangrove conservation in West Africa. Data was collected in two protected sites of the reserve (one in Togo and the other in Benin). Exploratory sequential mixed method via in-depth interviews (n = 17), focus group discussions (n = 14), household surveys (n = 274) and expert-based surveys (n = 10) were carried out, and data was analyzed using the InVEST-based Habitat Risk Assessment (HRA) model, chi-square tests and simple probability of likelihood. Findings showed that the co-management approach has lowered anthropogenic stressors to mangroves in the reserve. Under the co-management approach, all the mangroves located in the Benin side of the reserve are identified as under low risk whereas 42% of the mangrove cover are considered under low risk and 58% under medium risk in Togo. Local perception also portrayed the reduction of mangrove degradation in the study sites following the adoption of the co-management approach in the two countries. However, there are some challenges such as the financial support provision and regular community engagement which need to be thoroughly researched and addressed to achieve the sustainability of the positive impacts of the co-management in the MTBR.

In the face of current uncertainties about the processes of climate change and its consequences, the search for possible response strategies is urgently needed. One of the most serious repercussions of climate change, which threatens many coastal areas globally, is the sea-level rise (SLR). To deepen understanding of this phenomenon and its related impacts, several models have recently been developed to satisfy the unique needs of coastal zone management. These models are very useful because of their visualization and prediction capabilities as they aid in decision-making regarding the adaptation of current protected area investments. This review, therefore, provides evidence of the potential and effectiveness of recent mapping models for managing the effects of sea-level rise. This study examined current models for mapping flood risk areas as a result of sea-level rise. It also provides guidelines to help coastal zone managers and policymakers decide the applicability of various models at local, regional, and global scales. There is no universally approved model, and each of the models examined in this article has its own set of advantages and limitations. However, relevant resources from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are more frequently utilized for organizations and beyond, and they are easier to understand and relate with by scientists and those with less scientific knowledge on sea-level rise.

Mangroves and other blue carbon ecosystems have long been recognised for their carbon sink function, yet the organic carbon stocks of mangroves in many countries in Africa remain to be assessed. This study evaluates the impact of traditional forest conservation on long-term carbon sequestration in a non-degraded (Amanzule) and a degraded (Kakum) mangrove forest system in Ghana (West Africa). The amount of carbon stored in mangrove trees was estimated from diameter-based allometric equations. Tree (above- and below-ground) carbon was ~34-fold higher in the Amanzule forest (mean = 0.89 ± 0.10 t/ha) than in the Kakum forest (mean = 0.026 ± 0.019 t/ha). Soil carbon density was estimated as organic carbon and bulk density at specific depths in both forests. Soil organic carbon density was ~5-fold higher in the Amanzule forest (mean = 2935.79 ± 266 t/ha) than the Kakum forest (mean = 554.01 ± 83 t/ha). The variation in the vertical distribution of soil carbon was not significant in either forest (F = 0.57; p > 0.05). These findings underscore the role of traditional conservation on mangrove carbon stocks and the need to consider the governance of coastal ecosystems when estimating blue carbon.

This study assessed the vulnerability and coping livelihood strategies of fishermen within the context of declining marine fisheries in Elmina, Ghana. One hundred and fifty-five (155) fishermen were purposively selected for questionnaire interviews from January to March 2017. The results showed that most of the fishermen depended heavily on fishing as a major source of livelihood. Nonetheless, their income levels were trifled due to declining fisheries. The vulnerability index of the community proved to be significantly high. The coping livelihood strategies were largely informal, comprising farming and trading, among others. A little over half of the fishermen were willing to leave the fishing sector for different livelihoods, given other prospects. It is concluded that improving livelihoods in the community will require strengthening supplementary livelihood occupations, and educating fishers on the dangers of using illicit fishing methods are required for the growth of the sector and enhancement of income levels of fishermen.

Certain communities along the coast of Ketu South Municipality in south-eastern Ghana, remain vulnerable to coastal flood events from storm surges, high tidal waves, lagoon overflow, and heavy rainfall. However, the local conditions that make these communities vulnerable are poorly understood and knowledge on which communities are most vulnerable is lacking. This study improves the conceptual understanding of different dimensions of vulnerability that exist across the communities and the various levels of vulnerability that each exposed community exhibits. The study surveyed 354 household heads from selected flood-prone communities including Blekusu, Agavedzi, Salakope, Amutsinu, and Adina. The survey collected data on demographic, social, economic, physical, exposure, and adaptive capacity to flood hazards. The data was then used to construct composite vulnerability indices at community levels. Results from the study demonstrate that the communities have different levels of vulnerability as a result of differences in their exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity levels. The willingness to relocate as an adaptation strategy was determined by household flood duration, number of livelihoods, and sea defence preference. These results are relevant to flood disaster management programs and the adoption of effective adaptation measures that take into account local knowledge. The findings imply that interventions aimed at reducing vulnerability should take into account household characteristics, as well as flood exposure, and adaptive capacity factors.

Mangroves are important coastal ecosystems, which deliver diverse and crucial services to humans. This study explored the diversity of mangrove ecosystem services, their associated threats as well as their contribution to livelihoods and wellbeing of coastal communities in the Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (MTBR) located between Benin and Togo. Data were collected using the exploratory sequential mixed method. The approach included field reconnaissance, focus group discussions (n = 14), in-depth interviews (n = 17), household survey (n = 274) and direct observations. A total of 21 services and 7 associated threats were recorded in the entire reserve. Provisioning services were the most important service for mangroves in the reserve followed by supporting services, regulating services and cultural services. Change in water salinity, mangrove overharvesting and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing were the three major threats to mangrove ecosystem services in the reserve. Most of the respondents indicated that the current flow of provisioning services, regulating services and cultural services does not sustain their wellbeing and livelihoods. However, the perception varied significantly across respondents’ gender, ethnical groups, educational background and country. Our study showed some similarities between the two countries but also highlighted important differences which can assist the sustainable management of mangroves in the MTBR.

The conservation management literature has recently documented the increasing use of co-management approach to effectively conserve natural resources. Although most research qualify the co-management as highly effective, some authors also reported a number of uncertainties associated with the use of this conservation approach. Using the Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (MTBR) as a case study, this work assessed the effectiveness of the co-management towards mangroves conservation in West Africa. Data were collected in two protected sites of the reserve (one in Togo and the other in Benin). Exploratory sequential mixed method via in-depth interviews (n=17), focus group discussions (n=14), household survey (n=274) and expert-based survey (n=10) were carried out, and subjected to the InVEST-based Habitat Risk Assessment (HRA) model, chi-square test and simple probability of likelihood. Results indicated that under the current co-management regimes, the anthropogenic stressors recorded in the reserve put the entire surface area of mangroves in Benin (100%) under low risk. Contrarily, 42% of the mangrove cover are under low risk and 58% under medium risk in Togo. Local perception also portrayed a large reduction of mangrove degradation in the study sites following the adoption of the co-management approach in the two countries. This study suggests that the implementation of the co-management approach has lowered anthropogenic stressors to mangroves in the reserve. However, there are some peculiar challenges (e.g., financial support provision, regular community engagement), which need to be thoroughly researched and addressed for a more effective conservation of mangroves in the MTBR.

The concept of livelihood resilience provides a unique framework for understanding challenges in complex social–ecological systems (SESs) and fostering sustainability. Despite the crises many small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are facing, few studies have operationalized the concept in the context of declining SSFs in developing countries. This study aims to assess the resilience of artisanal fisherfolk livelihoods and its predicting factors in three fishing communities—Elmina, Jamestown, and Axim—in Ghana. A total of 1180 semi-structured interviews were conducted with fishers, fish processors, and mongers. Descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. The results show that the livelihood resilience of fisherfolk increases with an increased level of education and varies by gender. Male fisherfolk with secondary/post-secondary level education had the highest proportion (50%) of more resilient livelihoods. Only 36% of female fisherfolk with secondary/post-secondary level education had more resilient livelihoods. While 40% of male fisherfolk with no formal education had less resilient livelihoods, the livelihoods of half (51%) of females fisherfolk with no formal education were less resilient. The sociodemographic characteristics including wealth status, dependency ratio, marital status, religion, and ethnicity, contextual factors (community), and other relevant factors (experience in fishing, membership of fisherfolk association/group, and beneficiary of livelihood interventions) were found as predictors of the resilience of fisherfolks livelihoods. The findings suggest that interventions towards improving the livelihood resilience of fisherfolk need to consider individual- and household-level characteristics, as well as contextual factors such as marital status, religious affiliation, ethnicity, wealth status, dependency ratio, community, etc.

In the era of global environmental change, land transformation is acknowledged as a critical subject that needs to be addressed. Even though some studies have been carried out in Ghana on land use and land cover (LULC) change of wetlands, the conventional methods used were unable to reveal the underlying processes associated with the land transformation. This study employed Intensity Analysis to assess LULC change pattern (1985–2017) in three coastal urban wetlands of international importance in Ghana in order to identify the fundamental processes driving the wetland landscape transformation. Wetlands considered for this study were the Densu Delta, Sakumo II and Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Sites. The observed overall annual change in the first time interval; 2.42% (Densu Delta), 1.47% (Sakumo II) and 2.65% (Muni-Pomadze) was smaller compared to that of the second time interval 2.60% (Densu Delta), 3.55% (Sakumo II) and 2.91% (Muni-Pomadze). The human-induced LULC categories continuously grew at the expense of natural LULC categories. Large transitions from natural LULC categories to built-up were observed in all the three wetlands and in addition, large transition of dense forest to cultivated land was recorded at the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site. The main underlying process associated with land transformation in the wetlands was urbanization. Besides, agricultural activities also contributed substantially to LULC changes at the Muni-Pomadze wetland.

This study quantified growth, mortality, and exploitation rate of the black-chinned tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron melanotheron) population in Etsir Lagoon, a small brackish waterbody at Abandz...

Marine fish stocks in Ghana are in serious decline, while local demand for fish has outstripped supply due to a combination of factors led by over-fishing. To sustain per capita consumption of fish, the Government of Ghana has positioned aquaculture as one of its top priorities. Aquaculture is projected to meet the deficit in the country’s fish requirements. However, there is paucity of information on the profitability of smallholder aquaculture farming practices to guide planning and investments in the sector. This study was carried out on 40 farms across all four coastal regions of Ghana namely Western, Central, Greater Accra, and Volta Regions to help address critical bottlenecks facing smallholder fish farming practices. Three profitability metrics, i.e., benefit-cost ratio (BCR), payback period (PBP), and return on investment (ROI) were used to assess profitability. Regression analysis between investments and revenue outputs revealed cost factors that were significant and positively influencing revenue generation from aquaculture farms. Average BCR for smallholder aquaculture farms for a 5-year period was estimated at 1.14. When disaggregated, tilapia profitability was higher (BCR = 1.16) compared to catfish (BCR = 1.11) but not significant. The results showed that both tilapia and catfish farming had positive returns on investment. However, in the long term, profitability from catfish was higher (ROI = 0.74) than tilapia farming (ROI = 0.73) but not significantly different. Tilapia farms recorded shorter payback time of 7 years when compared to catfish farms estimated at 9 years. This study calls for stronger commitment of government and stakeholders to address the issues of high cost of fish feed and access to fish fingerlings and markets, while improving specific on-farm management practices.

Sustainably managed wild fisheries support food and nutritional security, livelihoods, and cultures (1). Harmful fisheries subsidies—government payments that incentivize overcapacity and lead to overfishing—undermine these benefits yet are increasing globally (2). World Trade Organization (WTO) members have a unique opportunity at their ministerial meeting in November to reach an agreement that eliminates harmful subsidies (3). We—a group of scientists spanning 46 countries and 6 continents—urge the WTO to make this commitment...

Increasing global seafood demand over the last couple of decades has resulted in overexploitation of certain fish species by both industrial and small-scale artisanal fishers. This phenomenon has threatened the livelihoods and food security of small-scale fishing communities especially in the West African sub-region. In Ghana, fish transshipment (locally referred to as saiko) has been catalogued as one more negative practice that is exacerbating an already dire situation. The goal of this study was to characterise transshipped fish species landed in Ghana on the basis of composition, habitat of origin, maturity and conservation status on the IUCN list of threatened species to enhance understanding of the ecological implications of the practice and inform regulatory enforcement and policy formulation. Using identification manuals, morphometric and gravimetric analyses among others, data on saiko fish samples landed at Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana were collected at bi-weekly intervals between November 2016 and June 2017. A total of sixty-eight (68) fish species from 44 families comprising finfish and shellfish of pelagic, demersal, benthopelagic, and reef-associated fishes were identified. The round scad (Decapterus punctatus), the mackerel scad (Caranx rhonchus), the round sardine (Sardinella aurita) and the red pandora (Pagellus bellottii) were the numerically dominant species recorded. By habitat classification, 44 species (65%) were demersals while 6 species (9%) were pelagic and 6 species (9%) were reef-associated. Majority of the demersal species were juveniles while composition of juveniles among the pelagic species ranged between 67% - 84%. In addition, 6 (10%) of the recorded species were either vulnerable or near threatened on the IUCN red list of threatened species. It could be deduced from these observations that the recruitment of juveniles into the small pelagic fish stocks may be compromised and possibly lead to the future collapse of such fishery. The practice is also inadvertently a clear threat to the marine ecosystem, and sustainable fish production in Ghana.

The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fisheries value chains due to restrictions imposed on human movements in many countries. In Ghana, food production, both agriculture and fisheries, is exempted from restrictions as an essential service. The enforcement of COVID-19 prevention protocols, particularly social distancing, has been widely reported in Ghana’s agricultural markets whereas casual observations and media reports on fish landing sites suggest no such enforcements are in place. This study aimed to provide sound scientific evidence as a basis for informed policy direction and intervention for the artisanal fishing sector in these challenging times. We employed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in assessing the risk of artisanal fishers to the pandemic using physical distancing as a proxy. From analysis of cumulative distribution function (G-function) of the nearest-neighbour distances (NND), this study underscored crowding at all surveyed fish landing beaches, and identified potential “hotspots” for disease transmission. Aerial measurements taken at times of peak landing beach activity indicated that the highest proportion of people, representing 56%, 48%, 39% and 78% in Elmina, Winneba, Apam and Mumford respectively, were located at distances of less than one metre from their nearest neighbour. Risk of crowding was independent of the population at the landing beaches, suggesting that all categories of fish landing sites along the coast would require equal urgency and measured attention towards preventing and mitigating the spread of the diseases.

The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fisheries value chains due to restrictions imposed on human movements in many countries. In Ghana, food production, both agriculture and fisheries, is exempted from restrictions as an essential service. The enforcement of COVID-19 prevention protocols, particularly social distancing, has been widely reported in Ghana’s agricultural markets whereas casual observations and media reports on fish landing sites suggest no such enforcements are in place. This study aimed to provide sound scientific evidence as a basis for informed policy direction and intervention for the artisanal fishing sector in these challenging times. We employed an unmanned aerial vehicle in assessing the risk of artisanal fishers to the pandemic using physical distancing as a proxy. From analysis of cumulative distribution function (G-function) of the nearest-neighbour distances, this study underscored crowding at all surveyed fish landing beaches, and identified potential “hotspots” for disease transmission. Aerial measurements taken at times of peak landing beach activity indicated that the highest proportion of people, representing 56%, 48%, 39% and 78% in Elmina, Winneba, Apam and Mumford respectively, were located at distances of less than one metre from their nearest neighbour. Risk of crowding was independent of the population at the landing beaches, suggesting that all categories of fish landing sites along the coast would require equal urgency and measured attention towards preventing and mitigating the spread of the disease.

Livelihood resilience is one of the social-ecological concepts with importance for development, policy and research as crises from human-environment interactions are becoming intense and widespread. Nevertheless, measuring livelihood resilience is a difficult task requiring handy and practical methods, which are missing in the literature. This study proposed and validated a measure to the three-dimensional livelihood resilience framework of buffer capacity, capacity for self-organization and learning in the context of Ghana's declining small-scale fisheries. It proposed measurement indicators to the three dimensions of the framework and tested its structural and predictive validity using simultaneous equations. The data used for the analysis were collected from a random sample of 1180 artisanal fisherfolk in three fishing communities using a semi-structured questionnaire. The framework is useful for livelihoods and resilience thinking and its three dimensions are uniquely interrelated and significantly explain the livelihood resilience of fisherfolks. Aside from the slight differences in the paths to livelihood resilience-building across communities observed, there were significant gender and community differences in the application of the framework. These findings suggest the usefulness of the framework for monitoring and evaluation of interventions aimed at building livelihood resilience of fisherfolks. However, the highlighted differences in its application across gender and community contexts need to be considered. The study contributes to sustainable fisheries and coastal management by providing insights on the pathways for enhancing livelihood resilience—reducing social vulnerability and promoting the adaptive capacities of fisherfolk to shocks. For instance, interventions towards building livelihood resilience could increase fisherfolk's access and ownership to capitals through trusted savings and lending schemes/associations and impact capitals (buffer capacity); institutionalization and strengthening traditional authority (self-organization); and framing advocacy messages against illegal fishing practices highlighting previous experiences of good fish catch under less pervasiveness of such illicit practices (learning).

Marine fisheries play important socio-economic roles in Ghana including the provision of food, livelihoods, employment, income generation and poverty reduction. Small-scale fisheries in Ghana face many management challenges such as overfished stocks, and user conflicts which can threaten resource sustainability and social stability. Previous research on conflict management in Ghanaian fisheries in 2001, gave a view of conflicts at that time. Since then, the institutional arrangements for fisheries management have developed, but there have also been other pressures from overfishing, population growth and the development of a national oil industry. This paper identifies previous studies and conducts participatory research interviews with a range of stakeholders to determine current fishery conflicts, their causes, consequences and their management. Different types of conflicts were identified which include, spatial, fishing gear, resource competition, and a range of governance and inter-agency conflicts. Conflicts among fishers have negative impacts on economic and social development. Unfortunately, the decline in fish production due to overfishing precipitates some of the conflict issues. It is concluded that fisheries governance of the small-scale fisheries sector can be enhanced, if fish production declines are addressed, open access canoe fisheries are restricted, management of pre-mix fuel administration and distribution improved, with the subsidy on the commodity being gradually removed. Fishery regulations can be enhanced, fisheries arbitration systems strengthened and fishers made more aware of fisheries laws through education via co-management. However, given the extensive changes envisaged and the time required to reduce levels of fishing effort, it is essential that co-management governance structures and relations among small-scale fishers keep improving, so as to contain the level of conflict in Ghana's fisheries in the transition to more sustainable fishing and food security.

Coastal erosion is a serious environmental problem that has caused the loss of private infrastructure and national assets along Ghana’s coast. Several hard engineering measures have thus been used to protect some communities and vital state assets when they became threatened. Regardless of this problem, sediment mining activities are increasingly practiced along most of Ghana’s coast, further exacerbating coastal erosion intensity and degrading coastal ecosystems. This paper provides an overview of the activities of coastal sediment miners along four administrative Districts in the Central Region of Ghana and identifies how issues arising from the practice are managed at the local community level as well as by state environmental regulators. The study uses a mixed-method approach, involving individual and group interviews, administration of a set of structured questionnaire and field observations, to identify coastal sediment mining and emerging management issues. Overall, three main categories of coastal sediment mining activities were identified in the area. Results indicate that coastal sediment mining is widely practiced by both commercial contractors and community members, giving rise to the high perception among residents that it is the reason for the degradation of the coastline in the studied areas. The study also established that state environmental regulators have weak inter-agency cooperation leading to poor enforcement of environmental laws and non-prosecution of offending individuals. The paper suggests that since each identified sediment mining activity has its own peculiar issues and mode of operation, coastal managers should address each category independently in order to derive lasting impacts in curtailing the practice.

Temporal changes in a wetland were studied over a period of 25 years (i.e. 1990–2015) through the use of satellite images to assess the extent of environmental degradation in the Songor Ramsar Site, with special emphasis on fragmentation in the wetland. The study sought to analyse the wetland fragmentation and loss at the site. The specific objectives of the study were to assess the changes in the wetland classes, analyse the landscape configuration of the wetland classes and finally examine the composition of the wetland landscape. The wetland classes were categorised by employing the Ramsar classification system for wetland types. The validation results were established to be satisfactory after employing standardised accuracy assessment measures and comparison with ground truth data. Eight (8) landscape metrics were selected based on the literature and the potential of each metric to best describe wetland fragmentation. Interview surveys were used to complement data produced by Geographic Information System (GIS) application. During the 25-year period, lagoon/lake and inter-tidal forested wetland experienced a positive change while seasonal/intermittent and permanent marshes experienced a negative change. Further analysis using landscape metrics revealed that the configuration of the wetland types, especially inter-tidal forested wetland, has been fragmented and their ecosystem composition has reduced considerably.

Even though global interest in mangrove research has increased in recent years, unveiling their immense ecological and economic roles, very little work has been done to investigate the primary driving factors motivating long-term community-based mangrove restoration and management on local scales. In Ghana, policy makers and coastal management practitioners have recently embraced the concept of community-based and co-management of coastal and marine resources. Community-based and co-management approaches require that key stakeholders, most notably the resource users themselves, play significant roles and responsibilities in the management process. However, there is little evaluation of the process in Ghana to assess the success or otherwise, particularly of the few and long standing examples of community-based approaches in coastal resource management. With special reference to an over two decade old community-based mangrove forestry programme along the Volta estuary of Ghana, this paper provides concepts for examination of the ecological and socioeconomic factors influencing mangrove restoration and management by fishers, fish mongers, farmers and their socioeconomic groupings. Participatory GIS mapping and the use of orthophotos generated for the period 1974–2011 provided additional information on temporal evolution of the extent of mangrove areas restored and managed by local stakeholders. Socioeconomic assessment of mangrove products utility was done through questionnaire interviews. The results indicate that livelihoods and economic benefits are the primary factors that motivate local stakeholders' participation in mangrove restoration and management. Mangroves provisioning services, markets and low livelihoods diversification are major drivers of mangrove resources exploitation. The study has shown that mangroves resources can be sustainably exploited, restored and managed if local customary rules are enforced and institutional arrangements put in place to mediate mangrove exploitation and regeneration rates. Such an approach if well developed, could promote coastal resources conservation with high economic returns for the users.

Mangrove wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems on earth, providing habitats for both marine and terrestrial organisms as well as supporting essential human services. However, high dependence of humans on these systems is leading to significant transformation of mangrove wetlands and reduction in their ecosystem services including fisheries. The objectives of this study were to estimate the biomass of two mangrove wetlands in Ghana within urban and rural contexts and determine the fish fauna assemblages as part of baseline setting. The study used the structural parameters of mangrove species and allometry to estimate the biomass of both forest systems. Fish community structure were determined based on ecological surveys. The findings show that the standing biomass of the mangrove forests were significantly higher (p

Effective conservation management combines information obtained from formal scientific research with traditional knowledge derived from communities living within the ecosystem, in an integrated and comprehensive ecosystem assessment. To complement national efforts to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in critical coastal ecosystems to protect nursery areas and spawning grounds in Ghana, two communities in the Greater Cape Three Points area in the Western Region of Ghana were involved in a participatory mapping and assessment exercise as part of an ecosystem-based approach to the establishment of MPAs in the area. The paper presents the processes by which the communities were engaged in identifying and mapping out top five priority ecosystem services (ES) vital for fisheries—an important livelihood source in the area—valuing the prioritized ecosystem services, and identifying and assessing four main anthropogenic pressures threatening the continual provisioning of ecosystem services. The relevance of such community participatory assessment in policy formulation is also discussed in the paper. The paper demonstrates that the livelihoods of rural coastal communities are linked to broader ecosystem functioning. It also shows that when participatory mapping is complemented with perspectives from direct beneficiaries of ES, managers are afforded a holistic insight into the array of issues that feed into a comprehensive management approach which addresses social, economic and ecological concerns.

A comprehensive assessment of ecosystem health of wetlands is needed to guide protection and restoration activities. However, the conventional methods used in evaluating ecosystem health of wetlands largely rely on field observational data which often do not provide spatio-temporal perspectives to the assessment. Geospatial assessment of remotely sensed data has enormous potentials for assessing ecosystem health of wetlands at different temporal and spatial scales. This study employed geospatial techniques to assess ecosystem health of Densu Delta, Sakumo II and Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Sites over a 32-year period using structure, function and resilience indicators. Landsat satellite images of 1985, 2002 and 2017 were obtained for this study. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to weight the indicators. The importance of the ecosystem health indicators in decreasing order was as follows: Structure > Resilience > Function. The findings of the study also indicated that ecosystem health of the wetlands progressively deteriorated in 2002 and 2017 compared to the reference year of 1985. In 2002, the Densu Delta experienced the least decline (11.8%) from the 1985 state among the three wetlands and Sakumo II recorded the highest deterioration (38.0%). Unlike 2002, in 2017 the health of the Densu Delta experienced the worse deterioration (46.3%) whereas Sakumo II recorded the least decline (26.2%). Ecosystem health of Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site deteriorated at a similar magnitude, 27.0% and 29.1% in 2002 and 2017, respectively. The critical underlying factor for the degradation of the wetlands is urbanization largely due to increase in human population which led to the expansion of built-up areas in the wetlands, fragmentation of natural land use and land cover (LULC) classes and reduction of vegetation cover.

Though many publications on women in fisheries in coastal areas are available on a global scale, still little information pertaining to women fisheries in Ghanaian coastal communities exist. This paper is therefore based on the premise that women's roles and contributions to the fishing industry in Ghana are under-recognized, poorly documented and under-acknowledged in management discussions. This study is intended to bring to bear the diverse contributions that women make in Ghanaian fisheries - as womens' needs and interests are often overlooked in interventions and policies. This non-inclusion could lead to policies and interventions missing their target of creating sustainable livelihoods based on marine resources. The objective of this study therefore is to fill an important gap in fisheries management information, critical for decision-making processes geared towards more sustainable ocean-based livelihoods. The primary objective of this paper is to analyse the role of women in fisheries livelihood within the context of their scale of operations and fish distribution networks. Interviews were conducted in two fishing communities in the western region of Ghana to assess the constraints that impede women's development within the fisheries sector, analysing their dependency on the fisheries resource as a livelihood and some interventions proposed for the improvement of their livelihood is discussed.

This study investigated how an industrial tuna fishery functions in terms of procedures, practices, governance and finance in the context of Ghana, West Africa. Tuna is Ghana’s biggest seafood export, contributing significantly to the domestic fisheries sector. A case-study approach was used to analyse relevant social and economic factors at the local scale to better understand how the global seafood industry operates in a low-income country. A value-chain framework was adopted to assess market structures, sales pathways and revenue distribution. We also investigated the role of actors engaged in the industry using secondary data, interviews, questionnaires and participant observations. The results revealed a changing organisational structure in tuna production, moving from bait-boat fishing with smaller companies to large-scale purse-seine fishing backed by consolidated Asian seafood companies. Production was found to depend significantly on local female intermediaries for access to funds through prefinancing arrangements. Considerable illegalities were identified within the value chain, highlighting the need for improved partnership and licensing negotiations, and for low-cost marine control and surveillance tools. As vertical integration increases within the industry, the influence of corporations as keystone actors becomes evident for the future social and ecological sustainability of the industry.Keywords: gender, global markets, industrial fishery, international seafood trade, IUU fishing, keystone actors, West Africa

Gene flow in agricultural crops is important for risk assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops, particularly in countries with a large informal agricultural sector of subsistence cultivation. We present a pollen flow model for maize (Zea mays), a major staple crop in Africa. We use spatial properties of fields (size, position) in three small-scale maize farming communities in Zambia and estimate rates of cross-fertilisation between fields sown with different maize varieties (e.g. conventional and transgene). As an additional factor contributing to gene flow, we present data on seed saving and sharing among farmers that live in the same communities. Our results show that: i) maize fields were small and located in immediate vicinity of neighboring fields; ii) a majority of farmers saved and shared seed; iii) modeled rates of pollen-mediated gene flow showed extensive mixing of germplasm between fields and farms and iv) as a result, segregation of GM and non-GM varieties is not likely to be an option in these systems. We conclude that the overall genetic composition of maize, in this and similar agricultural contexts, will be strongly influenced both by self-organised ecological factors (pollen flow), and by socially mediated intervention (seed recycling and sharing).

The increasing urbanization of much of the world’s coasts threatens irreversible damages to beach ecosystems, if unchecked. Unfortunately, beach monitoring programmes for remediation actions are uncommon, especially for less developed nations where infrastructural development and socio-economic goals are regarded more important than environmental goals. This study aimed at obtaining information about the effects of the modification and use of beaches and dunes on beach biota using ghost crab burrow density and size as variables. The study tested a hypothesis that the mean densities and sizes of ghost crab burrows on six beaches under three categories of human use in the Central Region of Ghana are different. Results indicated that low use beaches had significantly higher numbers of burrows and larger burrow sizes compared to medium use and high use beaches. Since physical and environmental parameters were consistently the same amongst the six surveyed beaches, the paper concluded that the differences in the observed beach use and dune modifications were responsible for the observed differences in ghost crab abundance and sizes. Major beach use such as intense trampling levels and clearing of dune vegetation for infrastructural developments are most likely responsible for the observed differences. On account of ecological considerations, it is recommended that beach land use reforms by coastal municipal authorities in Ghana should ensure that infrastructure development along undeveloped sections of the coast is limited to a safe distance from the shoreline. There should also be consideration of natural vegetation barriers between development and the beach to enhance natural beach–dune ecosystem interaction.

The paper compares rural perspectives in Thailand and Ghana on the level of condom acceptance in sexual relations, willingness to test oneself for HIV before and in marriage and sources of information on HIV/AIDS. We also compared the policy approaches to combating HIV/AIDS in both countries. The results indicates that in the villages studied in Thailand, all single men and the majority of the single women were in favour of using condoms in sexual relations. This group also showed a positive attitude to HIV/AIDS test before and in marriage. However, married men in rural Thailand disapproved of the use of condoms with their wives but married women in the sample population were open to the possibility of using condoms. Both married men and women were strongly against HIV/AIDS test in marriage. In contrast to Thailand, most single men in the communities studied in Ghana showed a disapproval to the use of condoms in sexual relations. However, they condoned HIV test before marriage. Married men and women in rural Ghana were against the use of condoms in sexual relations as well as HIV/AIDS test in marriage. In order to mitigate mother-to-child transmission, the Thais applied anti-retroviral drug care for HIV positive pregnant women during pregnancy and after delivery. In Ghana on the other hand, pregnant women were subject to HIV test and counselling. The mode of information acquisition on HIV/AIDS in both countries were through the media, campaigns and village volunteers. Finally, we observed that fighting poverty is a sine qua non for the success of any HIV/AIDS eradication programme.

Africa has deep contentions on the use of GM crops in agriculture, similar to those found in Europe and elsewhere. However, it is apparent that the debate is most protract- ed on the continent with two entrenched viewpoints i.e. the pro-GMO and anti-GMO groups. The challenge for an acceptable consensus is attributable to a complexity of issues relative to the introduction of GM maize into small-scale farming systems that fundamentally relies on open pollinated varieties (OPVs) with broad genetic back- grounds and tolerance to diverse biotic stresses, and which is usually produced for the informal seed market. Other factors relate to the generally low capacity of African states and weak mechanisms for assessing the potential risks posed by GM crops. The lack of public awareness, participation and information sharing are additional limiting factors. These issues have weakened government and policy responses to the potential deploy- ment of GM crops on the continent. This review draws on research-based evidence as a basis to comment on some key issues to inform the development of biosafety standards in African countries. We conclude that the potential introduction of GM crops into small-scale farming would lead to huge consequences from emerging ecological, economic and trade impacts if these issues raised are not taken into account in decision- making processes.