Geography And Resource Curse: Impact Of Oil On Fishing In Dixcove, Ghana?

4.0 Geography and resource curse: impact of oil on fishing in Dixcove, Ghana
Most accounts of the role of natural resource in development like the resource curse thesis is characterised by a default national-scale analysis that pushes questions on transnational organization of production into the background (Bridge 2008, p. 393) and its implication for local livelihoods. Fixation with national scale analyses that attribute success or failure to manage natural resources well to the benefit of the general population to only the internal weaknesses of the state like weak institutions is problematic as it ignores how the national politics interact with and are embedded in global politics and policies and local conditions. Such national scale analysis
However, according to Kankam et al (2013) increased pressure on marine fisheries due to poor fishing methods and climate change since the 1970s has place the fishing industry under greater strain, and making the supply chain, involving dozens of fishing communities in the Western Region vulnerable. The fisheries sector has been described as in crisis due to the numerous issues affecting the sea-space such as climate change, ineffective law enforcement, competition among fishing fleets, overfishing and food insecurity, and oil and gas development (Olsen and Page 2010). This study is also pointing to the idea that oil and gas development is negatively affecting the livelihoods of the fishing community of Dixcove in the Western Region, Ghana. Prior to the beginning of commercial oil production in 2011, there were expectations among the fisher folks that there will cheap source of fuel for fishing as oil was discovered in the area. But five (5) years down the line, their expectations (unrealistic though) have not been met as fishermen in Dixcove complained of the often shortage of pre-mix fuel, an important product for fishing. And more critically, there are restrictions on where to fish can take so as fishing activities does not disrupt the oil exploration. This affects local livelihoods. As one fisherman put
In Dixcove, as in most part of the coastal communities in Ghana, women smoke and dry fishes and sell them to the final consumers. Any decline in fish catch can make life difficult for the women as it limit supply of fish to the market. Apart from the decline in volume of fish catch, the market for fish and its related industry in Dixcove is shrinking as some of the inhabitants have migrated to the towns and cities (Takoradi and Accra) in search for employment. But the prices of fishes seems to have gone up due to demand is exceeding supply and increase in fishing equipment like fuel, making it difficult for people to purchase. This affects livelihoods of the rural women. They appear to be at the apex in the marginalisation schemata in the oil and gas