CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND COASTAL MARITIME AREAS: PERCEPTIONS OF ARTISANAL MARINE FISHERMEN IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF GRAND-POPO, BENIN

Benin, a West African country bordered by the Gulf of Guinea, derives a significant portion of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the agricultural sector, with fishing making a notable contribution. The fishing sector in Benin comprises inland fishing, artisanal marine fishing, and industrial marine fishing, which account for approximately 75%, 24%, and 1% of the national fish production, respectively. Grand-Popo stands out among the five major coastal municipalities in Benin due to its substantial contribution to national output from artisanal marine fishing. For several years, Grand-Popo has been facing significant climate variability, which increasingly affects the output from artisanal marine fishing. The study aims to assess the impact of climate variability on the coastal areas of Grand-Popo. To this end, local rainfall data, national artisanal fishing statistics, and a socioeconomic survey of fishermen in the municipality were analyzed. An analysis of rainfall data collected in Grand-Popo between 1970 and 2017 highlights a correlation between drought episodes (severe or moderate), notably in 2000, 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2017, and notable declines in national artisanal fishing production. The year 2000, marked by a severe drought, recorded the lowest production (5,320 tons) during the period from 1998 to 2018. Nearly all artisanal marine fishers (99.58%) perceive this climate variability and report that it manifests through irregular rainfall distribution, rising temperatures, and its impacts include ecosystem degradation, migration and disappearance of certain species, rising sea levels, and coastal erosion. In conclusion, climate variability hurts fishing statistics in Grand-Popo and at the national level.