Ghana conservationists and fishers work to protect endangered guitarfish

In coastal Ghana, conservationist Issah Seidu is working with fishing communities to protect guitarfish, a species that was once common along the country’s shores but has become harder to find.

Guitarfish, known locally as esene, have a flattened body like a ray and a shark-like tail. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as critically endangered. Their meat is eaten locally, and their fins are sold into international markets, where they are used in shark-fin soup.

Seidu, 36, said he began focusing on marine conservation after visiting coastal fishing communities in 2018 and seeing sharks, rays and guitarfish being landed with little attention to conservation. His NGO, AquaLife Conservancy, has tried to persuade fishers to reduce pressure on guitarfish by supporting another source of income: farming giant African snails.

In Adjoa, a coastal community, some fishing families are testing snail farming in wooden pens. Seidu said the fishers chose the activity themselves and that demand is greater than current supply. Edward Afful, a fisherman of 20 years, said falling catches have made it harder for crews to cover fuel costs, and he now raises snails as well as fishing.

Ghana designated a 703-square-kilometre stretch of the Atlantic Ocean as a marine protected area in April. The area is to be co-managed by coastal communities and the national government. Francis Nunoo, a fisheries science professor at the University of Ghana, said the area contains species that need protection, including guitarfish.

While national officials work on the design and implementation of the marine protected area, Seidu and fishers in Adjoa and Apam have created a locally managed marine area. Seidu gave fishers GPS trackers to help identify where guitarfish gather and spawn. Together they have mapped about 15 square kilometres of habitat described as critical for the species.

Local residents say catches have declined over time. Apam trader Evelyn Akorful said catches vary by season but have steadily fallen, and she blamed destructive fishing methods, including the use of lights at sea. She said sales of guitarfish, crabs and other species help families pay school fees and household costs. Jonathan Abadu Kennedy, a former local lawmaker known as Uncle Ebo, said large guitarfish have almost disappeared and pointed to pollution, changing fishing practices and climate change as factors.

Seidu said conservation will be difficult while guitarfish remain valuable to fishers and traders. He said success would mean most fishers understanding that their actions matter and choosing to protect the species themselves.