Governance of coastal and marine resources is a complex socio-ecological endeavour in many African countries. Achieving a balance between food security and economic empowerment, and conservation and sustainable use of marine resources is daunting. Women in West Africa are leading the way and demonstrating a pathway for food fish security through rights-based co-management of estuarine and mangrove shellfisheries.
This study of the scale of estuarine and mangrove ecosystem-based shellfisheries in 11 countries in West Africa revealed the gender dynamics and implications for the sustainable management of this small-scale fishery.
Chuku, E. O., Effah, E., Adotey, J., Abrokwah, S., Adade, R., Okyere, I., Aheto, D. W., Kent, K., Osei, I. K., Omogbemi, E. D., Adité, A., Ahoedo, K., Sankoh, S. K., Soro, Y., Wélé, M., Saine, D. F., and Crawford, B. (2022). Spotlighting women-led fisheries livelihoods toward sustainable coastal governance: The estuarine and mangrove ecosystem shellfisheries of West Africa. Frontiers in Marine Science. 9:884715. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.884715