Migratory Dynamics of Bozo Fishermen on the Rivers of Ivory Coast: The Case of the Bandama River

Abstract

The mastery of the management of fishery resources and their exploitation strategies on a spatio-temporal scale concerns both scientists and those responsible for the development of the fishing sector. Indeed, the permanent migration of actors prevents better control of the workforce, it does not facilitate the development of an effective management plan for this sector of activity. The present study aims to characterize the spatial and economic movements of Bozo fishermen on the Bandama River. Data was collected from December 2019 to November 2020 from questionnaires and interviews sent to fishermen and direct observation in the field. Analysis of the data showed multiple factors favoring the migratory dynamics of Bozo fishermen. These are the fishing tradition, the strong capitalization of the profession and the exchange of information thanks to the advent of the cell phone. Migration is characterized by daily mobility (1 to 24 h); seasonal mobility (1 to 3 months) and annual mobility (at least 1 year). The consequences of this behavior have resulted in a drop in production, an increase in the purchase price of fish for consumers and a difficult control of the number of fishermen for better management of the sector. This study showed that Bozo fishermen favor spatial mobility in their quest for fishery resources. This strategy gives rise to daily mobility and micro-trips depending on the time spent away from the usual localities. This behavior could lead to the depletion of fishery resources. Thus, vigorous measures must be taken to better control this movement with a view to the sustainable management of this resource.