Is Co-Management Still Feasible to Advance the Sustainability of Small-Scale African Inland Fisheries? Assessing Stakeholders’ Perspectives in Zambia

Abstract

Co-management has been promoted as an alternative approach to the governance of small-scale inland fisheries resources and has been implemented in many African countries. It has, however, not proven to be a simple solution to improve their governance; hence, most African inland fisheries are still experiencing unsustainable overexploitation of their resources. As such, there is a need for reassessing the application of governance strategies for co-management that should strive to strengthen the participation of stakeholders, primarily the local fishers, as they are fundamental in the governance of fisheries resources. Therefore, this study set out to explore the prospects of a co-management governance approach at a Lake Itezhi-Tezhi small-scale fishery in Zambia. Focus group discussions with fishers and semi-structured interviews with other stakeholders were used to collect data. This study revealed that the stakeholders perceive co-management as a feasible approach to governance of the Lake Itezhi-Tezhi fishery. However, the feasibility of the co-management arrangement would be dependent mostly on the stakeholders’ ability to address most of the ‘key conditions’ criteria highlighted in the study. This study also identified the need to establish a fisheries policy to provide guidelines for the co-management, coming with decentralisation of power and authority to the local fishers.

Socio-Economic and Environmental Challenges of Small-Scale Fisheries: Prognosis for Sustainable Fisheries Management in Lake Kariba, Zambia

“…A detailed study on this aspect may be required to draw lessons on the implications of land tenure transformation for livelihoods and freshwater ecosystems. Based on the results of this study, it is apparent that the current environmental pressures may deepen if not adequately addressed; this may have long-term effects on fisheries biodiversity, with adverse impacts on food security [67]. The problem exposes fishers to nutritional food insecurity since most of the people living along the shoreline are highly dependent on the lake for sustenance [68].…”

“…The construction of the dam wall in the middle of the Zambezi River, forming what is today known as Lake Kariba, resulted in the mass displacement of over 57, 000 indigenous Tonga/Korekore ethnic people [24]. Their resettlement was forced and badly planned [67,68], and those displaced communities are still suffering from the challenges associated with this resettlement that took place in the late 1950s [25]. The state displaced them from the banks of the fertile Zambezi River, where they used to have two seasons of crop production and access to fisheries throughout the year.…”

“…It is a situation that has been largely characterised by a moderately co-management system of governance [63]. Kapembwa et al [67] observed that the set-up was so because responsibility for the fisheries management was carried out by government authorities through local authorities instead of the fishing community, thereby defeating the original expectation which was to decentralise the fisheries management. Therefore, the enactment of policies aimed at providing guidelines for resource users' roles under co-management would enhance the conservation measures for fisheries biodiversity [72].…”

Transboundary Fisheries Management in Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA): Prospects and Dilemmas

“…The transboundary fisheries management challenges reviewed in this paper would be addressed by fulfilling certain key attributes, highlighted above (Table 1). For instance, (i) a lack of cooperation among member countries and stakeholders in KAZA-TFCA would be addressed by coordination and collaboration amongst the countries sharing the fisheries resources [87,88] Collaboration among member countries will create a platform for sharing knowledge, technology, expertise, and financial resources towards meeting the regional development agenda [87,89]; (ii) the inadequate institutions and inconsistence in management approaches would be addressed by fulfilling the attribute of having strong institutional frameworks. FAO and CCRF provide technical guidelines on policy development and essential institutions for fisheries management [78].…”

“…FAO and CCRF provide technical guidelines on policy development and essential institutions for fisheries management [78]. Policies are intended to guide governance processes and highlight the role and responsibilities of all stakeholders who may be key towards having strong transboundary collaborations [89].…”