Economic and social contribution of sedentary small pelagic fisheries in Guinea

The objective of the article is to present the economic and social contribution of the sedentary sector of small coastal pelagics to the Guinean economy. Data on the profitability of fishing units and post-capture activities were obtained from the National Center for Fisheries Sciences of Boussoura (CNSHB) and following field surveys from January to December 2019 in the various fishing centers of the country. The results show that six Guinean ethnic groups exploit small coastal pelagics in the national EEZ: Soussou, Malinké, Baga, Peulh, Landouma, and Nalou). The first three ethnic groups largely dominate the sedentary sector of small pelagics and represent more than 90% of the players. The production of the sedentary sector is estimated on an annual average at 51,250 tons over the period 2014 – 2018 for a commercial value of 25 Million Euros. The production is dominated by two species in particular the Bonga and the Sardinella. Overall, in terms of added value, the sedentary sector of small pelagics generates on average 60 million euros distributed between the owners of the means of production, tide fishers, women processors, and the State. Over 40% of this added value is generated by the fishing segment. They are followed by the fish trade and artisanal processing with annual added values estimated at 19, 5 and 15, 6 Million Euros respectively. Despite this important contribution of the sedentary sector of small pelagics to the Guinean economy, the absence of high value-added processed products, investments in industrial training, and strategic orientations inhibit the economic potential of Guinea's fishing sector.