This report is a summary of a multivariate analysis of the theory of change model of the USAID Women Shellfishers and Food Security Project, funded by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the University of Rhode Island (URI) and several partners from West Africa – the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana, the University of Ghana (UG), TRY Oyster Women’s Association (TRY) in The Gambia and, World Agroforestry (ICRAF). This project seeks to address the need for greater attention to food security for women shellfishers and their families while improving biodiversity conservation of the mangrove and estuarine ecosystems on which their livelihoods depend. The theory of change model put forth by this project was: IF women’s shellfish livelihoods in coastal mangrove and estuarine ecosystems in The Gambia and Ghana are improved through gender and nutrition sensitive co-management and linkages made to community based forest management in the land/seascape, THEN mangrove and estuarine biodiversity will be improved, AND IF approaches for sustainable food producing livelihoods within the coastal mangrove land/seascape contribute to a nutritionally balanced local food supply, THEN household resilience, sustainable food systems, and nutrition will improve. We refined this model and developed four major hypotheses statements to be assessed through site-based research. These were: Hypothesis 1. Improved and gender equitable management of shellfisheries increases shellfish yields, which increases shellfish consumption and income of those engaged in shellfishing. Hypothesis 2. Shellfisher mangrove management actions improve mangrove habitat which in turn improves the health of shellfish stocks. Hypothesis 3. High consumption of shellfish and increased income from shellfishing contributes to lower prevalence of anemia in women of reproductive age and improves other nutrition variables. Shellfish consumption is a main contributor to reduced anemia compared to other factors such as geographic factors or household and individual characteristics. Hypothesis 4. Enriching landscapes around mangrove-shellfish estuaries systems with complementary food and nutrition sources reduces the extractive pressure on the mangroves thereby improving mangrove health and improves shellfisher household income and household food security.
read moreThe governance of coastal and marine resources remains a complex socio-ecological endeavor in many African countries, but women are leading the way and demonstrating a pathway for food fish security through rights-based co-management of shellfisheries in estuarine and mangrove ecosystems in West Africa. We report comprehensively, for the first time, the scale of estuarine and mangrove ecosystem-based shellfisheries across the West African coast (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria), the gender dynamics, and implications for the sustainable management of this small-scale fishery. We find an extensive geographical coverage of active shellfisheries within these ecosystems with close to 571,000 household beneficiaries and over 50,000 harvesters, mainly women, being the primary resource users. An annual shellfish harvest of over 300,000 MT valued at USD 336 million is potentially undocumented across the region. Harvested shellfish species of economic importance comprised 18 species of mollusks, 11 species of crustaceans,and a few unidentified groups of gastropods, crustaceans, and cephalopods. The West African mangrove oyster, periwinkle, bloody cockle, whelk, and razor clam were, in that order, the most harvested estuarine shellfish. The bivalve and gastropod value chains are dominated by women harvesters at all nodes whereas women play significant roles in the processing and marketing of crustacean and cephalopod fisheries. Formal laws specific to the regulation of estuarine shellfisheries are generally nonexistent, however, the organized women shellfish harvester groups of the Tanbi wetlands (The Gambia) and Densu Delta (Ghana) have championed sustainable governance actions resulting in successful women resource user-led fisheries co-management. The elements of success and opportunities for scaling up these examples are discussed. The presence of such groups in several locations offers an entry point for replicating a similar co-management approach across the West African coast. This is an open source article published in the journal Frontiers of Marine Science 9:884715. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.884715
read moreThis toolkit provides the first practical guide for the design and implementation of women’s shellfish co-management in West Africa. The toolkit aims to: • Share the evidence base; • Increase awareness; • Equip stakeholders to adapt and apply successful approaches to co-management of shellfish by women in West Africa. The toolkit is designed for use by diverse groups of local, national, and regional-level stakeholders. It is envisaged that the toolkit will be beneficial to key stakeholders to inspire action and support continued innovation, development, application, documentation, and scaling of improved approaches and practices. This is the French version of the Toolkit.
read moreThis toolkit provides the first practical guide for the design and implementation of women’s shellfish co-management in West Africa. The toolkit aims to: • Share the evidence base; • Increase awareness; • Equip stakeholders to adapt and apply successful approaches to co-management of shellfish by women in West Africa. The toolkit is designed for use by diverse groups of local, national, and regional-level stakeholders. It is envisaged that the toolkit will be beneficial to key stakeholders to inspire action and support continued innovation, development, application, documentation, and scaling of improved approaches and practices
read moreParticipatory Assessment Of Shellfisheries in the Estuarine And Mangrove Ecosystems of Guinea. Women Shellfishers and Food Security Project. Final Technical Report on Site Based Research in The Gambia and Ghana. The finalized version of this report will become available in August, 2022.
read moreSite-Based Assessment of Oyster Shellfisheries and Associated Bio-Physical Conditions in Ghana and The Gambia. Women Shellfishers and Food Security Project Final Technical Report on Site Based Research in The Gambia and Ghana. The finalized version of this report will become available in August, 2022.
read moreMangroves are one of the most important vegetation types in coastal areas. They provide numerous ecosystem services, including wood, edible products (fish, oyster, etc.), coastal area stabilization, and many more. However, despite such immense contributions, mangrove forests are being converted into other land uses that seem more attractive economically in Ghana and The Gambia. In other cases, the vegetation is degraded due to the increased extraction and pollution from waste dumping. This report examines the main drivers and pressures that affect the spatial dynamics of this vital resource. Propositions on how to respond to or mitigate these pressures are also provided. This study used the DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses) analytical framework and situation modeling proposed by USAID. Four critical drivers and threats were identified: population dynamics, economic activities, natural factors, and sporadic seasonal drivers. For each of these drivers, the main threats they exert on the mangroves are discussed using the community perspectives as the basis. Response options such as policy, practices, governance, and behavioral responses were identified. Practical pathways to implement these responses include developing management plans, ‘adopt a mangrove’ approach, promoting participatory designed co-management models, devising incentive schemes (e.g., Payment for ecosystem services, etc.), and awareness creation. A sample action plan for restoring and conserving mangroves is provided for practitioners to adapt the plan to their contexts.
read moreGhana is endowed with coastal water bodies that support fishing and fish-related enterprises to support livelihoods. The country has lost a net of 539 square kilometers of mangroves in the past two decades, necessitating an integrated approach to support ecosystems and livelihood functioning. A visioning approach was employed to engage the communities in Densu Estuary, Narkwa Lagoon, and Whin Estuary in Ghana to understand the changes, the current situation, and to identify desired future scenarios in the land-seascape. It involved 115 shellfishers (93 percent and 7 percent females and males respectively). The study suggested that shellfishers are engaged in different secondary livelihood activities, including trade, farming, and livestock keeping, with gender playing a role in activities selection. The general trend in different livelihood activities was degrading and declining productivity over the years and the hope for increased productivity in the future. Natural drivers such as changing temperature and rainfall patterns and human drivers such as crop production, infrastructural development, population growth, overharvesting of fish resources, and pollution, were cited by the communities as being behind degradation patterns. The visioning process identified different activities or practices that the communities want to: 1) stop from happening (e.g., pollution, light fishing, overfishing, etc.), 2) expand or promote (e.g., mangrove restoration), and 3) new activities they want to introduce (e.g., alternative livelihood options and market linkages). Stakeholder organizations and their responsibilities were identified, falling broadly under government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), community, and private sector typologies. Community perceptions on the state of mangrove forests and their relationship to shellfishing activities was documented. Discussion of findings highlight the need for regulatory measures to be implemented in these community land-seascapes and for empowering local resource governance systems through deployment of co-management schemes, contextualized to the local realities.
read moreIn The Gambia, communities are highly dependent on their natural resources for survival, contributing to their degradation. A holistic approach is required for communities to look back at how these systems have changed, their status, and envisaged future. In The Gambia, a participatory visioning process was conducted through an approach that conducted 15 focus group discussions in eight communities spread over three sites (Tanbi, Allahein and Bulock). The objective was to build consensus and develop a common land-seascape vision for shellfishing communities towards better ecosystem management. The study established that farming, fishing, and shell fisheries are the main livelihood activities, with men focusing more on labor-intensive and women on less labor-intensive activities. Activities such as farming and fish harvesting varied in different months across the year. Trend analysis revealed that activities are either expanding, not changing or declining in the studied sites based on underlying reasons such as weather conditions, migration trends, harvesting trends, and regulations. Mangroves were perceived to be expanding due to initiatives by different stakeholders to promote shellfisheries. Generally, the communities observed declining production of food, feed and fiber in the past and envisaged an improvement in the future to meet the growing demands by the community. To achieve that, it is necessary to continue promoting current interventions such as mangrove restoration and rehabilitation of degraded sites for sustainable ecosystem services generation in the future. The visioning process identified activities such as deforestation and overharvesting of fish resources that need urgent attention. Activities such as mangrove-replanting, increased regulations enforcement, introduction of sustainable fish harvesting and rotational cropping were on the other hand highlighted to aid restoration efforts. This study therefore helped identify pathways for addressing deforestation of mangroves and terrestrial forests, overharvesting of fish resources, and challenges related to land management, for instance by working with key enablers such as extension services, and increased partnership and collaboration with product or market actors.
read moreDiversified food system strategies can improve food composition and income sources for women oyster harvesting communities dependent on seasonal fishery activities. This study focused on women shellfishers in Densu Estuary, Narkwa Lagoon, and Whin Estuary in Ghana and in Tanbi, Bulock, and Allahein estuaries in The Gambia, and to understand the status and opportunities for increasing the use of biodiversity to meet seasonal food and dietary needs. Research activities included site scoping assessments, 21 focus group discussions in Ghana (5) and The Gambia (16) and 356 random household interviews in Ghana (211) and The Gambia (145). In addition, data validation and feedback discussion meetings were conducted with communities across the six study sites. Overall, assembled data covered household livelihood characteristics, food production, food types, seasonality and expenditure attributes, tree planting, nurseries, species diversity and management, local food portfolios, and oyster and fisheries resource use challenges. Findings revealed key challenges cited as hindrances to meeting environmental and dietary needs by communities. There are food seasonality challenges, narrow food choice options, and inadequate credit facilities, market infrastructure, knowledge, and local capacity limiting fisheries activities. Data analysis revealed that communities are reliant on starchy staple crops, pulses, vegetables, and fruits for nutrition. Immediate nutrition food portfolios developed together with communities showed tree and crop species and their possible contribution for food and nutritional needs from local production systems. April and July were mapped as peak for food insecurity in Ghana, while in The Gambia peak food insecurity was between June and September. The study therefore recommends establishment of a more diversified food system that includes trees to improve diets and income, and contextualisation of the community needs across the sites based on their locally available biodiversity resources.
read moreOyster shellfishing offers a rich source of iron and other nutrients for women shellfishers in Ghana and The Gambia, where anemia prevalence among women remains high. Success at oyster shellfishing depends on appropriate management of local shellfisheries resources. In estuarine communities where the local shellfisheries resources are poorly managed, decreased oyster yields and availability could deny women shellfishers of a potentially vital resource for income and the prevention of household food insecurity, low dietary diversity, and anemia. We aimed to compare nutritional outcomes among women shellfishers 15-49 years of age living at three estuary sites in Ghana and The Gambia. We hypothesized that within each country, lower household poverty and higher oyster consumption (potentially resulting from increased oyster yields due to improved management of shellfisheries resources) would be associated with: (a) lower household food insecurity, (b) greater likelihood of achieving minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W), and (c) lower prevalence of anemia. In addition, we aimed to determine the mineral and heavy metal concentrations of oysters collected from three estuarine sites in Ghana and evaluate whether heavy metal contamination is of concern to the health of women shellfishers at these sites.
read moreCe rapport présente les résultats d'une évaluation participative de la pêche aux mollusques et crustacés menée dans le cadre du projet Women Shellfishers and Food Security financé par l'Agence des États-Unis pour le développement international (USAID). L'évaluation a été menée dans 11 pays côtiers d'Afrique de l'Ouest : Sénégal, Gambie, Guinée-Bissau, Guinée, Sierra Leone, Libéria, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Bénin et Nigéria. Les résultats sont présentés en deux sections principales. La section 1 décrit l'objectif et la portée de l'évaluation et la section 2 présente l'aperçu régional de la pêche aux mollusques et crustacés en Afrique de l'Ouest. Le rapport couvre les principales lacunes dans les données identifiées lors d'une revue de la littérature initiale menée avant cette étude, y compris la couverture estimée de la mangrove, la présence de femmes pêcheurs des mollusques et crustacés et le nombre de femmes pêcheurs des mollusques et crustacés. Des rapports nationaux détaillés ont également été produits dans le cadre de cette activité et sont compilés dans des documents distincts. Ce rapport met en avant, pour la première fois, une perspective régionale de la pêche aux mollusques et crustacés basée sur les écosystèmes des estuaires et des mangroves, un secteur de la pêche artisanale qui a longtemps été négligé. Il a été constaté que les 11 pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest sub-saharienne évalués avaient des pêcheries actives de mollusques et crustacés disséminées le long de leur littoral combiné de 4 472 km. Pour chaque pays, il y avait au moins quatre sites majeurs pratiquant la récolte et le commerce des mollusques et crustacés. Cela indique le potentiel d'efforts futurs de mise à l'échelle par des investissements directs, la recherche et le renforcement des capacités, ainsi que le développement de chaînes de valeur au sein de cette industrie. La description de la pêche aux mollusques et crustacés révèle l'intensité des moyens de subsistance liées à la pêche aux mollusques et crustacés sur toute la côte ouest-africaine. Il documente que le secteur de la pêche aux mollusques et crustacés présente une opportunité d'intensifier l'amélioration des moyens de subsistance, en particulier pour les femmes, et une opportunité d'étendre et de renforcer la contribution de la pêche aux mollusques et crustacés à la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle et à la gestion durable des ressources naturelles dans la sous-région.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Benin. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Côte d’Ivoire. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Ghana. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Guinea-Bissau. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Liberia. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Nigeria. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Senegal. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Sierra Leone. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in The Gambia. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Togo. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Ghana. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Sierra Leone. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in The Gambia. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Senegal. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Togo. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreIn September 2020, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded the University of Rhode Island (URI) the Women Shellfishers and Food Security Activity (project). With USAID, URI co-created the project in partnership with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana, the University of Ghana (UG), TRY Oyster Women’s Association in The Gambia, and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) based in Nairobi, Kenya. This project addresses the need for greater attention to food security for women shellfishers and their families while improving biodiversity conservation of the ecosystems on which their livelihoods depend. More robust models, tools, approaches, and processes are needed to enable and promote these sustainable food systems and natural resource management in coastal West Africa. The project will strengthen the evidence base, increase awareness, and equip stakeholders to adapt and apply successful approaches in areas of high potential for replication and scale-up in the eleven coastal West African countries from Senegal to Nigeria. It will draw on successful cases of a rights-based, ecosystem-based, participatory co-management approach to shellfish management by women in mangrove ecosystems in The Gambia and Ghana developed with USAID assistance. Knowledge and experience generated through the project will open up opportunities for improvement and broader application of these promising approaches in West Africa. This report documents progress on project implementation at the end of Year 1, September 15, 2020 – September 14, 2021, of this two-year project.
read moreFACT SHEET: The Women Shellfishers and Food Security project will strengthen the evidence base, increase awareness, and equip stakeholders to adapt and apply successful approaches for replication and scale-up in the eleven coastal West African countries from Senegal to Nigeria. It will draw on successful cases of a rights-based, ecosystem-based, participatory co-management approach to shellfish management by women in mangrove ecosystems in The Gambia and Ghana developed with USAID assistance. Knowledge and experience generated through the project will open up opportunities for improvement and broader application of these promising approaches in West Africa through these key project activities.
read moreThis report presents findings from a participatory assessment of the shellfisheries conducted under the Women Shellfishers and Food Security Project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The assessment was conducted in 11 coastal West African countries: Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. The findings are presented in two main sections. Section 1 describes the purpose and scope of the assessment and Section 2 presents the regional overview of shellfisheries in West Africa. The report covers key data gaps identified in an initial literature review conducted prior to this study including estimated mangrove cover, presence of women shellfishers, and number of women shellfishers. Detailed country reports were also produced as part of this activity and are compiled in separate documents. This report brings to the fore, for the first time, a regional perspective of estuarine and mangrove ecosystem-based shellfisheries, a small-scale fisheries sector that has long been overlooked. All 11 sub-Saharan West African countries assessed were found to have active shellfisheries interspersed along their combined 4,472 km coastline. For each country, there were at least four major sites practicing shellfish harvesting and trade. This indicates the potential for future efforts for scale-up through direct investments, research, and capacity building, as well as the development of value chains within this industry. The description of shellfisheries reveals the intensity of shellfisheries livelihoods across the West African coast. It documents that the shellfisheries sector presents an opportunity to scale up the enhancement of livelihood opportunities, especially for women, and an opportunity to scale and strengthen the contribution of shellfisheries to food and nutritional security and sustainable natural resource management across the sub-Region.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Guinea-Bissau. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. Portuguese version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Benin. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Côte d’Ivoire. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Guinea-Bissau. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Liberia. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreThis report details results from a participatory assessment of the scale and scope of shellfisheries and shellfish-based livelihoods as they relate to mangrove systems and coastal water bodies in Nigeria. This includes demographic and socioeconomic information on shellfish harvesters and other shellfish value chain actors, the nature of shellfishery engagement of these individuals, the status of shellfisheries and mangrove systems, and any existing governance and management regimes. Stakeholders made a number of recommendations for improving the shellfisheries. French version.
read moreFACT SHEET: The Women Shellfishers and Food Security project will strengthen the evidence base, increase awareness, and equip stakeholders to adapt and apply successful approaches for replication and scale-up in the eleven coastal West African countries from Senegal to Nigeria. It will draw on successful cases of a rights-based, ecosystem-based, participatory co-management approach to shellfish management by women in mangrove ecosystems in The Gambia and Ghana developed with USAID assistance. Knowledge and experience generated through the project will open up opportunities for improvement and broader application of these promising approaches in West Africa through these key project activities:
read moreThis document details a plan to guide stakeholder engagement and dissemination of results and products of the Women Shellfishers and Food Security Project. The three key project components are 1) Conduct the first-ever participatory regional assessment of the situation, unmet needs, and promising approaches to shellfish co-management, 2) Elaborate and test elements of models based on existing approaches through site-based research in The Gambia and Ghana to strengthen the evidence base for successful elements of the model, and 3) Foster a community of practice around the development and dissemination of a toolkit on a rights-based, ecosystem-based, participatory co-management of shellfish by women in mangrove ecosystems in West Africa.
read moreThis report is a Draft Literature Review for Activity 1 of the USAID Women Shellfishers and Food Security Project, which is a co-creation of the University of Rhode Island and partners from West Africa – the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, the University of Ghana, TRY Oyster Women’s Association in The Gambia, and World Agroforestry. This project seeks to address the need for greater attention to food security for women shellfishers and their families while improving biodiversity conservation of the ecosystems on which their livelihoods depend. More robust models, tools, approaches, and processes are needed to enable and promote these sustainable food systems and natural resource management in coastal West Africa.
read moreThis report provides documentation of the process used for selection of field research sites in The Gambia and Ghana for the Women Shellfishers and Food Security Project. Three sites were selected in each country based on a list of candidate sites generated. The report provides information on the criteria and process used for site selection, selected information on all the candidate sites, and a brief description of those sites selected for the in-depth field work. All the project implementing partners contributed to preparation of this report.
read moreThis project addresses the need for greater attention to food security for women shellfishers and their families while improving biodiversity conservation of the ecosystems on which their livelihoods depend. More robust models, tools, approaches and processes are needed to enable and promote these sustainable food systems and natural resource management in coastal West Africa. The project will strengthen the evidence base, increase awareness, and equip stakeholders to adapt and apply successful approaches in areas of high potential for replication and scale-up in the eleven coastal West African countries from Senegal to Nigeria. It will draw on successful cases of a rights-based, ecosystem-based, participatory co-management approach to shellfish management by women in mangrove ecosystems in The Gambia and Ghana developed with USAID assistance. Knowledge and experience generated through the project will open up opportunities for improvement and broader application of these promising approaches in West Africa, This document provides a basic Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan for this research project and an Implementation Plan that details project activities, tasks and milestones to be completed by each partner over the period of performance of the project and links them to the corresponding output and outcome indicators in the MEL Plan.
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