EXPLORATION OF OYSTER(Crassostrea tulipa)  UTILIZATION AND  ADAPTATIONS TO  CLIMATE CHANGE  IN  THE FISHERY IN A SOUTH WESTERN WETLAND IN GHANA

In Ghana, coastal fishery resources particularly shellfishes are envisaged to be heavily affected by changes in climate. Also among this group, oysters are the most vulnerable due to potential impacts from sea level rise, salinity changes and ocean acidification. The Whin estuary (longitude 1⁰ 48W and latitude 4⁰ 56N) is feared to be lost to climate change due to its close tie to the sea. This paper examines how oyster fishers in the Whin Estuary in western Ghana  utilize fish products of C. tulipa and how they perceive and adapt to indicators of climate change. Mixed methods involving participatory approaches such as individual and key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used to gather data on the indigenous knowledge on the fishery and climate change. Moisture, crude protein, carbohydrate, iron, calcium, ash and moisture content were determined following the procedures of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC).  The mean percentage nutritional values determined for its  meat  were 43.28 ± 0.35  protein, 8.67 ± 0.24 % carbohydrate, 0.03 ± 0.001mg of Iron, 22.98 ± 0.78 calcium, 10.89 ± 2.18 % ash and 79.03 ± 0.97 % moisture. From the focus group discussions, individual and key informant interviews, the shells are used in manufacturing of poultry feed, powder for demarcation of fields and paint for building.  Kendall tau-b correlation analysis was further performed to explore the relationship between the causes of the perceived changes in climate variables in the area among the gender groups. There was a negative correlation (r= -0.47, p =0.05) in perceived causes of changes in climate variables between men and women with men having diverse and well informed views. Women perceive decline in frequency of rains, increasing temperatures and prolonged droughts in recent times. They adapt to increasing rainfall and temperature  by diversification, temporal storage for future use and  use of improvised tools. Women predict changes in climate by the appearance of dark clouds and cold waves from seaward direction, morning dew and  flying of wild birds in columns.

Keywords: Adaptation, climate change, diversification, oyster, vulnerability