APA-Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) The overfishing of juvenile and subadult fish near the Ivorian coast poses a threat to her fisheries stocks.
The results of a survey conducted from June 2022 to June 2023 by researchers at the Abidjan Oceanological Research Centre (CRO), show that overfishing is threatening the disappearance of sardinella in Sassandra (south-west).
Initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the West Africa Coastal Fisheries Initiative Project, the study focused on collecting data on two groups of species: tuna in Abidjan and sardinella in Sassandra.
These fish are the two project implementation areas. The data will be used to measure fisheries performance in Côte d’Ivoire, using the Fishery Performance Assessment Toolkit (FPAT) developed by the University of Washington.
The initiative aims to highlight the socio-economic, environmental and bio-ecological performance parameters of fisheries. This will enable the application of best practices.
According to Dr. Justin Konan, one of the researchers who led the study, data collection focused on round and flat sardinella, commonly known as “magne” in Côte d’Ivoire.
“Flat sardinella (Sardinella maderensis) is more abundant in catches than round sardinella (Sardinella aurita). The majority of round sardinelles landed are adults, whereas several juveniles and sub-adults are caught among flat sardinelles.
Sardinella farming in Sassandra is booming. The round sardinella seems to be overexploited and needs special attention. As for the flat sardinella, the stock seems to be under-exploited.
In Sassandra, a coastal town in south-west Côte d’Ivoire, artisanal fishing is the main economic activity of the local population. Overfishing could have serious consequences for the daily lives of the inhabitants who depend on this activity.
Dr. Justin Konan recommends strict compliance with regulations on net mesh sizes, mapping of sardinella fishing zones, and encouraging stakeholders to comply with measures to close down sea fishing in Côte d’Ivoire.
It also urges those involved in the sector not to increase the number of boats in the coming years, and to limit the number of gears (nets) per boat. It aims to provide better governance and strengthen the seafood value chain.
The Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) is a global, collaborative initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It brings together United Nations agencies and international conservation organizations to improve fisheries management and protect marine biodiversity in coastal areas.
The project is implemented in synergy with the “Creating an enabling environment for sustainable artisanal fisheries” Project. It contributes to the operationalization of the principles of the voluntary guidelines aimed at ensuring the sustainability of artisanal fishing in the context of food security and poverty eradication.
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