The contribution of estuarine ecosystems to fishers’ migration patterns and livelihood adaptation along Ghana’s coast

Abstract

Globally, migration has become an important livelihood strategy for many poor households. Estuaries and seashores play a central role as points of human settlement and marine resource use. While access to a natural resources/biodiversity could be a pull factor for migration, biological and socioeconomic reasons such as overpopulation, reduced fish stocks, and environmental degradation may also compel fishers to migrate to other areas along the coast as a livelihood adaptation strategy. This study assessed the contribution of estuarine ecosystems to fishers’ migration patterns for livelihood adaptation along the coast of Ghana. Data from 652 household heads were used to analyse the linkage of estuarine ecosystems on fishers’ migration patterns along Ghana’s coast. The results show that having access to the river, sea and people from the same hometown/ethnicity were the factors that attracted about half of the respondents to settle in the selected estuarine communities. There was also a significant relationship between ethnicity and preference for unique features of the estuary. A proposed individual/household complementary migration framework best explains fisher migration in Ghana. This understanding of the migratory patterns of fishers is necessary for managing Ghana’s valuable coastal ecosystems, particularly estuaries. The findings of this study has significant implications for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10.7 by 2030.