Unité Pédagogique et de Recherche en Hydrobiologie et Eco-technologie des Eaux, Laboratoire des Milieux Naturels et Conservation de la Biodiversité, UFR Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire
The actors and fishing gears on the Fresco lagoon (Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa) were studied from August 2018 to July 2019 by administering questionnaires to fishermen, interviewing them and observing them during their various activities. The fishing practiced on this lagoon is of the artisanal type. A total of 59 fishermen were surveyed, including 49 Ivorians (83.05% of all fishermen), with a predominance of Godiés (62.71%) and 10 Malians (16.95%), with a majority of Bozos (10.17%). All are male. Most of them are professionals (55.93%), adults (59.32%), have primary school education (49.15%), are married with family responsibilities (74.58%), have personally financed their activities (82%) and are Christians (71.19%). They are not united into cooperatives. Materials used include longlines, hawks, gillnets, wire traps and barrage nets. The density of fishermen is relatively low (2 to 4 fishermen/km2). Motorized pirogues, bamboo traps and ichthyotoxins are prohibited. Unfortunately, materials with mesh sizes below regulatory standards are used. These results constitute a database for an efficient management of the fisheries resources of the Fresco Lagoon.