Fishing in Côte d'Ivoire today
This book starts where every fishing trip starts: in the field, with simple questions. Am I allowed to fish here? Where should I go for my first trip? On what budget? This introduction answers them in a few pages. The rest of the book will then accompany you for years.
Being legal
Fishing in Côte d'Ivoire is governed by Law No. 2016-554 of 26 July 2016 on fisheries and aquaculture. This 121-article text sets out the principles: conservation of resources, the fight against illegal fishing, and sustainable management of marine, lagoon and inland waters. The supervising authority is the ministry in charge of Animal and Fisheries Resources (MIRAH).
The law requires a licence for artisanal and commercial fishing. For recreational and sport fishing, the framework is set out in orders and may change: check with the MIRAH or its departmental office before fishing on your own. On a guided trip (club, charter, guide), the operator holds the permits: this is the simplest way to start.
Three absolute prohibitions, whatever your status: explosives, poisons and chemicals, and the capture of fully protected species (sea turtles, manatee). For other species, this book gives the conservation status and good release practices species sheet by species sheet.
Every year, fishing is partly closed during the biological rest period, which lets fish breed: it usually starts on 1 July and lasts one to four months depending on the sea, lagoon, lake and gear. The dates change from year to year: before your first trip, check that year’s notice from the Ministry of Animal and Fisheries Resources (appendix B).
Where to fish: the coast and lagoons at a glance
Around Abidjan, everything is less than an hour away. The Vridi jetty and the canal surroundings concentrate hunting predators: jacks, barracudas, threadfins. Note that the shipping channel and its immediate surroundings are in a regulated port zone: fish only in authorised sectors. The beaches from Port-Bouët to Grand-Bassam offer miles of surfcasting. The Ébrié lagoon, accessible from Cocody to Jacqueville via Bingerville, remains the ideal training ground: calm water, plentiful fish, pirogues and guides available.
Further afield, four destinations make a fishing weekend. To the east, Assinie and the mouth of the Aby lagoon: fish-rich channels and coconut groves. To the west, Grand-Lahou and the mouth of the Bandama: the meeting place for threadfins. Then Sassandra and its rocky bottoms, and finally San Pedro, the gateway to offshore trips in the west.
Each species sheet in this book specifies the habitat where the fish is found. The calendar in the appendix says when. The map opposite shows the main spots mentioned in the book.
[MAP TO BE INSERTED: annotated Ivorian coastline, from Assinie to San Pedro, with the spots mentioned and the habitat colour code.]
The four ways to fish
1. From the shore: beaches and jetties
The entry point. One rod, a few rigs, local baits, and the miles of beach do the rest. Surfcasting is done at daybreak and nightfall, jetty fishing with the tides. A modest starting budget, guaranteed thrills: a jack hooked from the shore shows no mercy to flimsy tackle.
2. In the lagoon: calm-water fishing
Pole fishing and handlining from a pirogue or small boat. This is the fishing for learning and for steady results: catfish, tilapias, croakers. It is also the fishing that brings you into contact with fishing communities, the foremost experts on these waters.
3. In coastal waters: trolling and bottom fishing
With a motorboat, the continental shelf opens up: light trolling along drop-offs, bottom fishing over rocks, jigging over structures. Day trips leave from Abidjan, Assinie or San Pedro.
4. Offshore: the big game
Tunas, sailfish, marlins, dolphinfish. Ivorian offshore fishing remains a well-kept secret: during the upwelling season, tunas sometimes hunt less than ten miles from the coast. It is done on a charter or with Abidjan’s nautical clubs.
Safety first
The Ivorian sea demands respect. The barre, the powerful shore break that pounds the beaches, makes swimming and launching dangerous along most of the coast: never turn your back to the waves when fishing from the shore. Near the channels and the Vridi canal, tidal currents are violent and ship traffic constant: safe distances are compulsory.
In the lagoon as at sea: a life jacket for every person on board, a charged phone in a waterproof pouch, plenty of drinking water, serious sun protection. Check the weather before every trip and beware of rainy-season storms, which are sudden and fast. Offshore, a VHF radio and telling someone your trip plan are not optional.
How to use this book
This book follows the angler’s path. Part I describes the stage: the Gulf of Guinea, the upwelling, the Vridi canal, the lagoons. Part II is the encyclopedic heart: 106 species sheets, sorted by habitat, identifiable by their colour code. Part III teaches the techniques, from lagoon handlining to offshore trolling. Part IV equips you: tackle, knots, local baits. Part V calls for commitment: conservation, regulations, and the Gulf of Guinea Angler’s Charter.
Three navigation tools support your reading. The visual index of silhouettes, at the front of the book, takes you from the shape of the fish to its species sheet in less than a minute. The pictograms at the top of each species sheet refer to the corresponding technical chapter. The QR code on each species sheet opens its enriched and updated digital version.
Finally, one convention: no data in this book is made up. Sizes, conservation statuses and biological data come from verifiable public sources (FishBase, FAO, IUCN, CRO Abidjan), cited at the end of each species sheet and in the appendix. When a local data point remains to be confirmed, the book says so honestly.