Characterization of Artisanal Fishery for Sustainable Livelihood among the Fishery Actors: in the case of Popoh Beach, Point-Four Fishing Community, New Kru Town in Liberia

Abstract

Fishing is a vital social-economic activity for livelihood among the fisheries actors in fishing communities. In recent years, the fisheries actors in the study area have gone through a poverty-stricken situation. The objectives of the study include; scrutinizing the demographic and social-economic characteristics of the fisheries actors and the impacts of fishing among the actors, the economic factors and how it affects the welfare of the fisheries actors, and to identify the management policy and propose recommendations for improvement. To achieve these objectives, random probability sampling technique was used to collect the demographic and social-economic data selecting 110 respondents in the study area. The qualitative information was processed and analyzed in excel using descriptive statistics to quantify the qualitative data. The economic indicators of the fishing activities among the fishers were determined using the Direct Use Value method to estimate the income and cost of the fishers fishing. The study revealed that the most profitable fish species harvested are Pseudotolithus Spp., Galeoides decadactylus, Sardinella Spp., and Cheilopogon melanurus valued at US$11.43/kg, US$6.29/kg, US$5.58/kg and US$4.58/kg respectively. The less profitable fish species were Ilisha Africana and Chloroscombrus chrysurus valued at US$ 7.46/kg and US$4.03/kg respectively and were hauled by 25.76% and 12.12% of the fishers. Though Pseudotolithus and Sardinella aurita/maderensis species are profitable stocks, these species show low in harvest due to the low biomass of the two fish species. The results of the study indicate that there exists a great potential in term of the demographic and social profiles of the fisheries actors support the livelihood activities but there is a serious economic risk in the livelihood activities among the fisheries actors in the fishing community because the fishery is not sustainable. Practical measures are suggested to improve the fisheries activities in the study area such as enhancing the collaborative role of the government, fisheries managers, financial institutions and other stakeholders as well as international partners to improve the livelihood situations.