Fish stocks on the West African coast have declined significantly over the past 50 years, threatening food security and the livelihoods of the fishing communities that depend on them, according to a study by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. (ICTA-UAB) is collaborating with Fundação Maio Biodiversidade (FMB).
Small-scale fisheries play a critical role in providing food and livelihoods to millions of people around the world, particularly in low-income countries in Africa. However, there is limited statistical data on the composition, abundance, and distribution of fisheries resources, which is essential for effective management.
A new study recently published in the journal Ocean Policy documents changes in the catch of small-scale fisheries, highlighting significant declines in fish size as well as catches of key native species. It has become.
Scientists compiled official catch and landing data and combined it with local ecological knowledge from local fishermen and fishmongers on Cape Verde’s Maio Island, which has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2020.
“Monitoring of fish landings in West African countries is limited, leading to underestimation of local catch, particularly from artisanal fisheries, and creating data gaps that impede effective management.” said Taïs Peixoto Macedo, a researcher at ICTA-UAB and lead author of the study. He explains that traditional fishermen’s reports reveal trends that are not well captured in official records. “Discoveries in this region point to trends that are likely to occur on other islands in the archipelago and other coastal areas of West Africa, and should be considered in marine resource management plans.”
Local communities believe that certain fishing practices, such as spearfishing using scuba equipment and semi-industrial fishing using purse seines and night lights, have contributed significantly to the decline in fish stocks. In the case of semi-industrial fishing, they report that vessels fish within three nautical miles and within marine reserves set aside for artisanal fishing.
Species with the highest reported declines include groupers (pheasant grouper, island grouper, African grouper) and small pelagic fish such as mackerel and bigeye. “According to local fishermen, the decline in small pelagic fish due to semi-industrial coastal fishing is negatively impacting the catch of large pelagic fish such as yellowfin tuna and albacore, which are important commercial species for local and international markets.” Benarcy・Mr. Barrera says. , FMB staff who contributed to the research. It was thought that spiny lobsters and slipper lobsters, which were used to supply the island with a particularly large number of tourists, were also depleted.
The study focuses on a phenomenon known as “baseline transition syndrome,” in which people gradually adjust their perceptions of health and nature to the new reality, forgetting the past situation and accepting it as the “new normal.” Although younger fishermen report lower catches and fish sizes than older generations, the majority of the younger group believe that fish stocks are not declining.
