Ghana’s oyster farmers revive mangrove-based livelihoods amid climate threats

Tsokomey, Ghana — Beatrice Nutekpor moves carefully through the mangroves to harvest oysters for sale, a family tradition she began when she was 15. Now 45, she is struggling to sustain the practice and pass it to her daughter as climate change reshapes the coastal ecosystem. In coastal Ghana, oyster farming has long been a women-led livelihood tied to mangrove forests that shelter the bays and help stabilize shorelines. Nutekpor’s daily g-team routine reflects a broader effort to preserve a practice that has fed generations even as the environment becomes more volatile.

Hundreds of women in Ghana’s mangrove belt were trained in eco-friendly farming methods for oysters, including mangrove planting and preservation and selective harvesting designed to reduce climate-related stress on the ecosystem. The program, however, largely ended when the Development Action Association nonprofit lost U.S. aid contracts after a shift in national foreign aid policy. With the training paused, the women have pressed on with what they learned, trying to keep the practice viable as the country emerges from a prolonged economic crisis. Mangroves serve multiple functions in the aquatic system: they provide habitat for fish, shelter coastlines from erosion, and dampen storm impacts. Yet the coastal forests have suffered substantial losses across West Africa as climate pressures intensify and development encroaches on wetlands.

Oyster farming in this region involves cultivating oysters in controlled waters and selling them for income. Nutekpor notes that the mangrove replanting her community undertook appears to be paying off, with oysters beginning to attach themselves to the planted roots. Nevertheless, the downturn in mangrove forests has made the work harder. The destruction of mangroves means longer, riskier dives for oysters as fish and shellfish migrate to deeper waters where roots once anchored populations. The broader trend mirrors what scientists describe for the region: climate change and development have eroded mangrove cover, which had already begun to decline long before the present cycle of extreme weather and rising seas.

The economics of the trade also illustrate the pressures. A single basin of oysters sells for roughly 47 Ghanaian cedis (about $4), and Nutekpor’s harvests are typically sized to feed her family and fund her daughters’ schooling. The livelihoods tied to this craft are fragile, especially when yields dip year to year. Nutekpor’s worst fear is realized in years with fewer oysters; she speaks of the emotional and financial strain that accompanies dwindling harvests as mangroves disappear and waters become more dynamic.

In the Densu Oyster Pickers Association, women have established guidelines meant to curb mangrove cutting and ensure sustainable harvests. First-time offenders lose their oysters, while repeat offenders are reported to the police. “The reliance of the coastal people on these ecosystems is heavy,” said Francis Nunoo, a professor of fisheries science at the University of Ghana. “The rate of destruction is always higher than the rate of repopulation, so we are going to lose some species and we are going to lose some lives.”

Nutekpor, who says she wants to continue the family business for future generations, emphasizes the cultural significance of oyster farming. “Just as my mother taught me this business, I also want to teach my daughter so she can teach her child. Then oyster farming will remain our family business,” she said.

The mangrove forests’ decline has a clear toll on local livelihoods, particularly for women who have long managed oyster farms in often gender-dominated coastal economies. Experts point to a broader pattern across West Africa, where mangroves are shrinking due to both climate effects and coastal development. While restoration efforts and replanting can help communities rebound, the pace of degradation has often outstripped recovery, leaving families to adapt under pressure. The ongoing work by Nutekpor and others to protect and restore mangroves is part of a larger climate and environmental story in which small, community-led actions can help sustain livelihoods even as the landscape changes.

The tides of change are not only ecological but economic and social. As Ghana navigates its own economic hurdles, the ability of women like Nutekpor to sustain oyster farming, and to pass this heritage to the next generation, will depend on continued support for restoration, access to training, and strong local governance that protects mangrove habitats from further encroachment. The resilience shown by these communities underscores the essential link between environmental health and climate-ready livelihoods in coastal Ghana and similar ecosystems across the region.