By Sheck Sherif
The research was separated into three phases: (1) designing the survey, (2) conducting surveys and focus group discussions in the field, and (3) continually analyzing the data.
With the assistance of Dr. Patrizia Ziveri, our Pier2Peer mentor, we partnered with Dr. Victoria Reyes from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Comanagement Association (CMA) in Robertsport to plan interviews and group discussions involving female fishers and traders. This project utilized a research protocol based on the LICCI project https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279847.
Examining the involvement of women in fisheries will offer comprehensive insights
into geolocalized community-based data
concerning climate change and ocean
acidification effects and resilience. This
research study aims to investigate how
local knowledge can assist in climate and
ocean acidification research, enhance our
comprehension of the perceived impacts
of climate change and ocean acidification,
and incorporate local knowledge into
policymaking. The project will document
and communicate climate change, and ocean acidification impacts at the local level, capturing how small-scale fisheries (SSF) have adapted to these impacts.
The study aims to pinpoint locally perceived species abundance, temporality, location, and size and evaluate how the fishing community has responded to these changes.
We administered a survey and facilitated focus group discussions throughout the research project. The discussion aimed to evaluate observations regarding alterations in fishing and
habitats,including insights from experienced fishers about transformations in marine
environments and fish abundance, size, and distribution. Meanwhile, the survey was split into seven (7) sections: (a) fishing technology used by women, (b) fishing technology used by men, (c) catch by women, (d) catch by men, (e) fishing effort, income, and time, and (f) perceptions regarding climate change and ocean acidification.
The final survey round did not occur as planned due to the rainy season. However, we are
closely collaborating with local authorities in Robertsport, including the CMA and Liberia
Artisanal Association (LAFA), to address this issue. We have arranged for the remaining survey to be completed by June 2023.
In the final phase of this study, the data
and information obtained from the surveys
and focus group discussion will be analyzed. The conclusive findings of this research will be shared with The Ocean Foundation (TOF), which supported our collaboration through the Pier2Pier
network and presented to the CMA and LAFA.
