Socio-Economic Systems Response to Upwelling Variability in Small-Scale Fisheries: The Case of a Beach Seine Fishery in Ghana

Abstract

The paper examines how variability in sea surface temperature and upwelling influenced fish catch in a small-scale beach seine fishery for nearly two years (covering two major seasons, a minor season and an off season), and how socio-cultural agreement on profit sharing further dictated disproportionate disparities in income of boat or net owners (considered as “employers”) and their fishing crew (“employees”). In this fishery, half of the total profit is allocated to the net owner and the remaining half shared among the crew. The year with higher sea surface temperature and weak upwelling intensity recorded lower fish catch and lower profits, which further worsened the economic plight of the fishermen. Crew earned less than Ghana’s national monthly minimum wage of GH¢ 120.96 (≈US$65.0) in 2012, and GH¢ 141.48 (≈US$75.8) in 2013 for most months in the two years. A net owner generally had more than 25 times the earning of a crew. Results are discussed within the broader contexts of socio-economic plight of small-scale fishers in the face of climate-induced weakening upwelling intensity and declining fish catches. Policy interventions for ensuring economic safety nets for small-scale fishermen in the country including a pension scheme for the fishers are proposed.