Pollution and climate change impacts on livelihood outcomes of lagoon fishermen in Central Region, Ghana

Abstract

Although the concurrent impacts of pollution and climate change on livelihoods of fishermen are well established, the mechanics within the livelihoods are less known. To understand the mechanics, this paper evaluates the responses of fishermen on the impact of pollution and climate change on livelihoods, using field surveys of 124 fishermen. The result indicated that plastic and domestic wastes are the major lagoon pollutants identified by the respondents. Also, almost all the respondents noted that climate change and lagoon pollution impact negatively on the lagoon which subsequently affect their fishing activities. The fishermen reported difficulty in meeting basic livelihood essentials including feeding their family, paying of their children school expenses, paying of hospital and utility bills. The analysis of logistic model indicated that the likelihood of fishermen landing a high volume of fish catch was statistically significantly influenced by the number of days of fishing in a week, lagoon water temperature, other jobs and formal education. Considering the fact that the main factors impacting on fishing activities are extrinsic without controls of the fishermen, there is need for policy makers within the Cape Coast Metropolis to address drainage systems that feed pollutants into the lagoon.