author(s)
Yao Abissa Antoine, Konan Koffi Mexmin, Boussou Koffi Charles, Doumbia Lassina, Ouattara Allassane and Gourene Germain

abstract
This study aims to contribute to the implementation in the lower basin of the Comoé River basin, an ecosystem approach of fisheries as a fisheries management tool which is more holistic than conventional fisheries management. Indeed, the conventional fisheries management focuses solely on resources. It means that the specific focus is to identify stakeholders, issues and analyse risks, identify problems, assess risks and prioritise these issues. A total of 145 fishermen were recorded, including 133 Ivorians (91.72 %), 6 Malians (4.14 %), 4 Ghanaians (2.76%) and 2 Burkinabés (1.38 %). Several anthropogenic activities that may directly or indirectly affect fisheries and the ecosystem have been identified, including agriculture, with use of plant protection products, pigstries, deposition of household waste, direct or indirect discharges into the water. A total of 105 issues were identified. The distribution of these problems by the generic component indicates that 74 (70.47 %) relate to ecological wellbeing, human wellbeing and ability to achieve respectively represent 16.20 % and 13.33 %. From the hierarchy of problems by component of the generic tree, it appears that 76.19 % of problems are in the high risk category while 15.23 % have a medium risk and 08.58 % a low risk. The distribution of risk levels by the generic components shows that ecological wellbeing concentrates the majority of the high risk category at 75.47 % versus 15.00 % and 09.33 % respectively for human wellbeing and ability to achieve. For the sub-components of the generic tree, the selected species represent 58.75 % of the high risks, the general ecosystem 11.25 %, the local community and governance respectively account for 5 % and 08.75 % of all high-level risks.