Implications of Fisheries Governance for Livelihood and Well-being: Current Perspectives from Ghana’s Small-scale Fisheries

The evidence of the crisis is seen from the drastic decline of fish stocks, particularly the small-pelagic, also known as ‘‘the people’s fish’’. Because of this, the capacity of the governed system, including the formal management measures, to secure SSF and deliver sustainable livelihoods and improved well-being has been questioned. 

My research examines the implications of fisheries governance for the livelihood and well-being of small-scale fishers. First, it develops a comprehensive analytical framework that acknowledges the fisheries system's complexity and dynamic nature. The framework would be anchored on the interactive governance theory and insights from the sustainable livelihoods and well-being approaches. This would help assess and understand how the governed system shapes SSF livelihoods (comprising assets, activities/strategies, and access) to yield well-being outcomes for small-scale fishers in Ghana. 

Aside from the critical review and analysis of the legal and policy frameworks for SSF governance, different qualitative research techniques will be employed to empirically comprehend how the broader political and economic trajectories, institutional structures and interactions shape fisheries' livelihoods and well-being.

Meet the researcher

Eric Duku
PhD student, MPhil and BSc (Honors)

Eric Duku was born and bred in Ghana's coastal zone, making him well-connected with riparian and fishing communities. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography and Regional Planning and a Master of Philosophy in Integrated Coastal Zone Management from the University of Cape Coast. 

Eric was part of the first cohort of scholars for the World Bank Funded Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR). 

He has developed a more extraordinary passion for integrated and interdisciplinary research, where he can apply knowledge from social and natural disciplines to understand and contribute to the human-nature connection debate. This justifies the direction of his past and current research. So far, Eric has ten research publications to his name. 

His skills span geospatial and statical analysis to textual data analysis. He was a program assistant in charge of land use and community outreach at a renowned NGO in Ghana, Hen Mpoano (Our Coast). Also, he previously worked as a teaching assistant for his post-undergraduate national service with the Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Cape Coast.  

Supervisor(s): Prof Michael Fabinyi and Prof Kate Barclay

Contact: 
eric.duku@student.uts.edu.au
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