IMPACTS OF MARINE LITTER ON THE LIVELIHOOD OF FISHER-FOLKS IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES: THE CASE STUDY OF SHAMA FISHING COMMUNITY

Abstract

Purpose –– The study aimed to assess the impacts of marine litter on the livelihood of fisher folks in the coastal communities of
Shama. Purposive sampling technique was used to survey 60 respondents of fisher folks at Shama.
Methods –– Questionnaires were used to collect data and subsequently analyzed with the use of Microsoft Excel 2013 and
Statistical Package for Social Science version 26 (SPSS) and results were presented in a table and charts.
Findings –– The study identified that more than half of the respondents (57.4%) strongly agreed that marine litter affects the
number of fish caught, while 29.6% of respondents agreed that marine debris affects the number of fish caught, whereas 5.6%
disagreed.
Conclusion & Recommendation –– The study revealed negative effect of marine litter on the smooth operations of fishermen activities and this is greatly affecting profit made by fishermen in Shama fishing community, Ghana. Hence, it is therefore recommended that the government help provide dustbins around the sea shores, strengthen education on the impact
of marine littering amongst other proposed solutions by respondents.
Keywords –– Fish catch, Shama, time for Fishing, coastal environment