Résumé
Women’s shellfisheries in West Africa are essential yet understudied social-ecological systems. In the Sine-Saloum Delta (Senegal), the bloody cockle (Senilia senilis) fishery plays a key role in supporting coastal livelihoods, but is increasingly threatened by environmental and socials changes that challenge the capacity of local governance to respond effectively. Within the WOSHECO project, our research contributes to an inter- and transdisciplinary effort to better understand these coupled dynamics and to support adaptive co-management of small-scale shellfisheries.Anchored in commons theory, we investigate how social, ecological, and institutional factors interact to shape the fishery’s adaptive capacity. Drawing on a Companion Modelling approach that blends disciplinary perspectives, situated knowledge and participatory tools, we bridge multiple scales of inquiry and foster the co-production of actionable knowledge for sustainable management. Here, we highlight how through several years of fieldwork combining qualitative and quantitative methods, we document ecological dynamics, local knowledge, evolving fishery practices, and existing governance arrangements. Our preliminary insights highlight how compounding stressors are challenging resource sustainability. These empirical results inform the development of an agent-based model co-designed with fisherwomen and other stakeholders. The model, which is available in the form of a game and digital modelling tool, serves as a boundary object to explore management and governance scenarios, facilitate dialogue across disciplines and knowledge systems, and support the co-production of solutions for the sustainable management of marine invertebrate resources and address the wicked problem of declining shellfisheries under global change.