Issah Seidu
- Project name: Status and Conservation of the Endangered Common and Blackchin Guitarfishes in Ghana.
- Project site: Greater Accra & Wester Region, Ghana
- EDGE species: Common guitarfish, Rhinobatos rhinobatos
- Active: 2020 - ongoing
Biography
Issah is currently studying for a PhD at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology. His PhD is looking into various characteristics of the Elasmobranch fisheries in western Ghana. In addition to this, Issah is the founder and a team leader for the AquaLife Conservancy in Ghana.
Issah believes he will benefit greatly from working with the experts and colleagues who are champions in marine biology & social science methods through the EDGE Fellowship. Further to this he hopes that the Fellowship will further enhance his skills in data presentation, scientific writing, as well as being able to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders.
EDGE Project
Issah’s project aims to identify and mitigate threats to EDGE sharks and rays through developing evidence-based strategies in the Western region of Ghana.
His objectives are to:
- Characterise operational activities of artisanal elasmobranch fisheries in six communities in the Western Ghana region from June-July 2020;
- Assess composition of EDGE sharks and rays, catch per unit efforts (CPUE), biology and population parameters in six communities in the Western Ghana region from June 2020 – May 2021;
- Assess temporal changes in elasmobranch fisheries and EDGE sharks and rays cach since 1980 in three communities in the Western region from March to September 2021;
- Describe the culture associated with shark and ray fisheries in three communities in Western Ghana region from March – August 2021;
- Assess socio-economic and trade dynamics of highly valued EDGE sharks and rays in three communities in the Western Ghana region from October 2021 – March 2022.
