Data-poor fisheries in West Africa: Past, present and future? Dyhia Belhabib Sea Around Us Project d.belhabib@fisheries.ubc.ca
Data needs in West Africa Focus area: West Africa, Known for Lack of data, Highly abundant in fish, High dependence on fish for food and money, Poor governance and high corruption, Failure of development programs, Highly sensitive to Climate Change and poor adaptive capacity.
Data needs in West Africa The official data that is used is: Incomplete: E.g. Exporting more than what is caught in 1 Guinea Bissau 0 Amount (t x 10 3 ) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Landings Exports 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 Year Guinea Bissau: 1977-2010 (FAO FishStatJ) Domestic fish exports > Domestic fish landings Re-exports are excluded
Data needs in West Africa The official data that is used is: Inconsistent: E.g. Eating ghost fishes Amount (t x 10 3 ) 35 30 25 20 15 10 Fish consumption Supply 5 0 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 Year Guinea Bissau: Per capita consumption (Census) x Population supply (FAO FishStatJ)
Challenges in West Africa Senegal: PhotoShoped AMLEP2 Mission (US Navy and Senegal Navy)
Challenges in West Africa Morocco: We catch it, We don t eat it, We don t sell it, We don t process it, But We don t discard it. Mola mola
Missing sectors in West Africa Illegal fisheries, Discards, Recreational fisheries, Subsistence fisheries, Artisanal fisheries (partially), Industrial fisheries (particularly foreign).
Debunking the myth in West Africa 1. Review existing reported catch times series FAO and national data 2. Identify missing data sectors, time periods, species, gears 3. Seek alternative information literature searches & local experts 4. Develop data anchor points expand to country-wide estimates 5. Interpolation between anchor points 6. Total catch times series = reported + missing component
Results (some examples) West Africa The Gambia FAO Sierra Leone FAO FAO Senegal Mauritania Liberia FAO FAO FAO Guinea G. Bissau Cape Verde FAO FAO
Results: artisanal catches West Africa The Gambia Sierra Leone Senegal Mauritania Liberia Guinea G. Bissau Cape Verde
Results: subsistence catches West Africa The Gambia Sierra Leone Senegal Mauritania Liberia Guinea G. Bissau Cape Verde
Results: foreign catches West Africa The Gambia Sierra Leone Senegal Mauritania Liberia Guinea G. Bissau Cape Verde?
Food: Changes in the diet Senegal 140 120 Liberia Scombridae Soles Grunts Catch (t x 10 3 ) 100 80 60 40 Snappers 20-1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Year Clupeoids Catch (tx 10 3 ) 60 50 40 30 20 10 Guinea Bissau Largehead hairtail Atlantic bumper 0 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Year Bonga shad Bivalvia Threadfins Catch (t x 10 3 ) 80 70 The Gambia Sharks Sardinellas 60 50 Croakers 40 Catfishes Others 30 Mullets 20 10 Bonga - 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Year
Adaptive strategies- drivers? Pirogues evolved into a new species Pirogues adopted a migration strategy 250 Pomatomus saltatrix Catch (t x 10 3 ) 200 S. maderensis 150 Sardinella aurita Cymbium Cynoglossus spp. 100 50 Ethmalosa fimbriata 0 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Year From Guinea / Guinea B. Figure showing the catch composition of artisanal migrant fishers catches in Senegal.
? 49 Mauritania 66 449 167 15 Cape Verde 292 299 Senegal 1.5 10 44 The Gambia Guinea Bissau 77 54 104 Guinea 54 226 8.6 20 8.6 Sierra Leone Liberia 210 11.7 Legal foreign 210 Illegal foreign foreign 210 EEZ Boundary Domestic legal legal EEZ boundary Disputed area 14 11.6
Mauritania 49 Cape Verde 84 Senegal 3 The Gambia Guinea Bissau Guinea 23 US $ recovered/ US $ MCS spent 8 2 Sierra Leone Liberia Legal foreign 210 Illegal foreign foreign 210 EEZ Boundary Domestic legal legal EEZ boundary Disputed area 2
Outcomes Taxonomic changes over a period of 60 years as opposed to MMF Relative importance and performance of each sector for the economy and food security Marginalized but important sectors (Subsistence, recreational) Interactions between sectors (discard recovery, overlapping targeted species) Value lost to illegal fishing and potential for recovery Employment generated by fisheries Impact of climate change, overcapacity and overexploitation over time
Thank you!