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SC/69A/HIM/05
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Resource ID
20009
Access
Open
Document Number
SC/69A/HIM/05
Full Title
A novel digitalisation approach and multi-stakeholder involvement for tracking cetacean by-catch and strandings along Ghana's coast
Author
Isaac Okyere, Eric Mawuko Atsiatorme, Kwadwo Kesse Mireku, Elizabeth Agyekumwaa, Ernest Obeng Chuku, Patrick Ofori-Danson, Joseph Sefah Debrah, Denis Worlanyo Aheto, Donkris Mevutah And Wim C. Mullié
Authors Summary
A multi-stakeholder Ghana marine mammal reporting network was established for collecting and providing data on strandings and cetacean landings, after which technologies for using mobile phone and web-based applications and platforms for collecting, transmitting, analysing, visualising and monitoring data in a centralised database was developed. Data from the database was used to engage relevant stakeholders on designing cetacean conservation actions based on trends. Over the twelve-month period (April 2022 to March 2023), the project documented a total of 254 individual cetaceans from 18 species comprising 249 (98%) landings from artisanal fisheries and 5 (2%) strandings from nine sites. Records were dominated by the Clymene dolphin, Stenella clymene (21%) and the Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata (17%). Monthly landings show a minor a peak in August 2022, and a major peak in January 2023. Estimates of 20.8 cetacean mortalities month-1 and 0.8 day-1 were imputed, with the peak monthly landings of 1.2 animals day-1 in August and 2.7 animals day-1 January, and drift gill net being the main fishing gear implied. Comparing catch rates with previous studies suggests a downward trend. Prospects for our newly initiated Ghana marine mammal by-catch and strandings programme as a national programme for cetacean monitoring and conservation, as well as the possibility of our approach serving as a model for replication in similar cetacean related data-deficient countries in Africa are highlighted.
Publisher
IWC
Publication Year
2023
Abstract
Although there has been an increasing trend in the directed catch of cetaceans (marine bushmeat) in Ghana’s EEZ in the face of near collapse fisheries, data on cetacean by-catch has remained scanty for decades and the available data were usually limited in time series continuity and geographical scope. Due to the lack of a national marine mammal monitoring programme, producing data for evidence-based management of cetacean by-catch remains the effort of non-governmental entities and private individuals or groups of scientists who are largely resource-constrained. We explore for the first time in Ghana, the approach of adopting and deploying a model that integrates the deployment of mobile phone and web-based technologies by a multi-stakeholder network to monitor cetacean landings along the entire coast of Ghana. A multi-stakeholder Ghana marine mammal reporting network was established for collecting and providing data on strandings and cetacean landings, after which technologies for using mobile phone and web-based applications and platforms for collecting, transmitting, analysing, visualising and monitoring data in a centralised database was developed. Data from the database was used to engage relevant stakeholders on designing cetacean conservation actions based on trends. Over the twelve-month period (April 2022 to March 2023), the project documented a total of 254 individual cetaceans from 18 species comprising 249 (98%) landings from artisanal fisheries and 5 (2%) strandings from nine sites. Records were dominated by the Clymene dolphin, Stenella clymene (21%) and the Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata (17%). Monthly landings show a minor a peak in August 2022, and a major peak in January 2023. Estimates of 20.8 cetacean mortalities month-1 and 0.8 day-1 were imputed, with the peak monthly landings of 1.2 animals day-1 in August and 2.7 animals day-1 January, and drift gill net being the main fishing gear implied. Comparing catch rates with previous studies suggests a downward trend. Prospects for our newly initiated Ghana marine mammal by-catch and strandings programme as a national programme for cetacean monitoring and conservation, as well as the possibility of our approach serving as a model for replication in similar cetacean related data-deficient countries in Africa are highlighted.