New study by GSD Teaching Fellow examines abandoned fishing gear and its impact on coastal livelihoods in Cameroon

Maurice Beseng has published a new open-access article in the leading peer-reviewed journal Marine Policy, which is published by Elsevier.

The article, titled ‘Managing abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear in Cameroon’s marine small-scale fisheries: Perspective of local ecological knowledge’, explores the growing global challenge posed by abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear, and its contribution to multiple sustainability challenges including plastic pollution, damage to marine ecosystems, and threats to coastal livelihoods and food security.

Based on a mixed-methods study across several fishing communities in Cameroon, Dr Beseng’s research draws on surveys, interviews and community observations to document how fishers and state officials perceive the environmental and social impacts of discarded gear, and factors that act as barriers towards meaningful sustainable gear management; from limited supply of durable equipment to illegal fishing and a lack of effective waste-management infrastructure.

His findings highlighted a strong concern among fishers about the effects of plastic pollution and gear loss on their communities, but also a low willingness to participate in recycling or gear-replacement schemes, unless there is support in the form of subsidies for biodegradable gear, better regulation, and targeted awareness-raising campaigns.

Dr Beseng’s work not only contributes important evidence to global debates about sustainable marine governance, coastal community resilience, and plastic pollution, but also offers potential solutions for positively influencing public policy and community support in sustainability initiatives. We congratulate Dr Beseng on this impactful publication and look forward to seeing his further contributions towards creating more just and sustainable practices with our oceans.