Dhowrka Kalluunka Guitarfish ee Ghana: Ilaalinta Bulshada Deegaanka

Kalluunka guitarfish ee dhul-xeebta Ghana waa naadir sii kordheysa kadib sanado badan oo kalluumeysi xad-dhaaf ah. Ururka deegaanka iyo bulshooyinka xeebaha ayaa iska kaashanaya si loo badbaadiyo noocyadaas khatarta ah.

Khatarta iyo Hoos-u-dhaca Noocyada

Guitarfish waa qaraabo u dhow shark iyo ray, waxaana IUCN u taxday 'critically endangered'. Hilibkoodu waa mid la jecel yahay oo laga cuno Ghana, laamahoodana waxaa loo dhoofiyaa suuqyada caalamiga ah.

Guud ahaan Galbeedka Afrika, tirada guitarfish ayaa hoos u dhacday. Sawfish laga yaabaa inay horey uga lumeen biyaha Ghana, wedgefishna waa naadir sii noqday. Marka la qalajiyo kalluunkaan waxaa loo isticmaalaa maraqa.

Tallaabooyinka Ilaalinta Bulshada

NGO-da AquaLife Conservancy ee Issah Seidu waxay kobcisay wacyiga ilaalinta, waxayna horreysey beeralaynta snail-ka ee Adjoa. Edward Afful, kalluumeysi 20 sano ah, ayaa isku daray snail iyo kalluumeysiga kadib markii ay hoos u dhaceen saamiga.

Bishii Abriil, Ghana waxay magacowday 703 km² oo bad ah MPA ay wada maamulaan bulshooyinka iyo dowladda. Seidu iyo kalluumaadka Adjoa iyo Apam waxay sameeyeen aag badeed oo maxalli ah, GPS ayagoo khariiday 15 km² oo muhiim ah.

Aragtida Deegaanka iyo Mustaqbal

Evelyn Akorful, 41, ganacsade Apam ah, ayaa arkay hoos-u-dhac kalluunka sababtoo ah hababka waxyeelada leh sida nalalka badda. Jonathan Abadu Kennedy, 57, ayaa sheegay guitarfish-weyni inay ku dhawaadeen inay baaba'aan culeys, isbeddel iyo cimilo.

Seidu wuxuu yiri: "When the majority of fishermen become aware that their actions matter and choose to protect the species themselves, that is success." Guushu waa marka badmaaxayaasha intooda badan ay ilaaliyaan noocyada iyaguna.

Communities, conservationists and government map habitats and test alternative livelihoods as west African guitarfish populations decline

The critically endangered guitarfish is becoming increasingly rare along Ghana's coastline due to years of overfishing, with populations collapsed across west Africa. Local conservationists are working with fishing communities to raise awareness and promote alternative livelihoods before the species is lost.

Species under pressure

Guitarfish are relatives of both sharks and rays, with the flattened body of a ray and the tail of a shark. They are red-listed as 'critically endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and their meat is a delicacy widely eaten locally.

Sawfish may have already disappeared from Ghana's waters, while wedgefish, another close relative, have become increasingly scarce. Guitarfish fins are used in shark-fin soup in international markets, particularly the Chinese market, creating added pressure on stocks.

Communities map habitats

Issah Seidu, a 36-year-old conservationist, visited coastal communities in 2018 and equipped fishermen with GPS trackers to identify guitarfish gathering and spawning sites. Together they mapped about 15 square kilometres of critical habitat in a locally managed marine area.

Ghana designated a 703-square-kilometre stretch of the Atlantic as a marine protected area in April, co-managed by communities and government. Professor Francis Nunoo of the University of Ghana said the area holds unique species including guitarfish needing protection.

Alternative livelihoods

Seidu's NGO AquaLife Conservancy developed snail farming as an alternative livelihood. In Adjoa, fishing families test wooden pens, and Edward Afful, a 20-year fisherman, now raises snails due to shrinking catches and struggling fuel costs.

Seidu states success will be measured when the majority of fishermen become aware that their actions matter and choose to protect the species themselves. Trader Evelyn Akorful, 41, blames light-based fishing for declining stocks seen over years.