Are Management measures always welcomed by Stakeholders under Scarcity conditions? The case of the Marine artisanal fishery of Sassandra (Southwestern Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa)

Fishing has opened the way for heavy exploitation of fish, leaving some stocks under constant pressure and threats, which require urgent management measures. However, such measures may not always be welcomed by those for whom they are intended. In that context, the current study was carried out in June 2025, shortly before the fishing-closure measures that were set up by the Government come into effect in July. Using a questionnaire intended for the professionals of the marine artisanal fishery of Sassandra (Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire), we carried out interviews. The 155 interviewees we approached at the landing site were to give a personal view on working conditions and answer some questions relating to fish size, fish abundance, specimens´ prices, and fishing-closure observance. Questions also included how fishing in spawning-grounds was perceived, the effects of management measures on the professionals´ activity, and the beneficial role of aquaculture. The results indicated that fish being landed nowadays are not larger than the ones from past years (94.19% of responses); yet they are more expensive than those ones. Additionally, 80% of the interviewees were aware that fishing in spawning-grounds was not lawful; while 64.76% of them were skeptical that aquaculture could be an alternative solution to fish scarcity. Moreover, 46.15% of respondents said that people were left without jobs during the fishing-closure period; 94.19% of them being engaged in unique activity. Fishers´ wives pleaded therefore that the measures take effect from April to June, to avoid worsening their financial and social conditions in July.