4. Threats to artisanal fisheries cast doubts on their sustainability
Despite the importance of small-scale fishing on the social, economic and cultural levels as we have tried to illustrate in the preceding pages, their sustainability is now in question. The interviews conducted during the multiple visits to Boulbinet with women directly involved in fishing or catering activities as well as fishers mention a combination of factors that are not likely to ensure long term
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access to healthy resources capable of producing maximum sustainable yield for the thousands of fishers
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sufficient domestic revenue for Guinea from the fisheries exercised in its waters, which are indispensible financial resources for the state and its citizens
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coverage of animal protein needs of the households from fisheries products and
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maintenance of jobs on which tens of thousands of people depend for their liveiihood.
Several problems have been pointed out by our interlocutors as being the factors seriously threatening small-scale fishing. As a direct consequence, this would lead to the deterioration of the living conditions of the tens of thousands of people who depend on the jobs in the fisheries value chain. Among these the most frequently mentioned factors revolve around the marginalisation of local women and men entrepreneurs and their perceptions about the changes taking place.
