Postharvest fish losses and unequal gender relations: drivers of the social-ecological trap in the Barotse Floodplain fishery, Zambia

Abstract

The Barotse Floodplain fishery is an important source of livelihood for economically poor women and men in western Zambia. Current efforts by the Department of Fisheries and the traditional authority to manage the fishery can be characterized as weak. The use of unsustainable fishing practices and overfishing are pervasive. Drawing on resilience thinking, we examine the extent to which the existing fishery-dependent livelihood context represents a social-ecological trap, i.e., a process in which rigid and persistent behavioral responses are applied because of a lack of capacity to adapt, leading to overdependence on the fishery, and ultimately, unsustainable outcomes. We use a gender lens and look beyond the primary sector (fishing) to include considerations of a secondary sector (postharvest fish processing) as an important dimension in the social-ecological trap paradigm. We present findings from an empirical research project that tested improved fish processing technologies and a communication for social change innovation as an alternate way to view a possible escape pathway from the trap not commonly recognized in the literature. The results suggest that there is value in adapting the social-ecological trap thinking to include postharvest fish losses and unequal gender relations as drivers of the trap in the floodplain fishery, and that approaches that combine technical innovation to reduce losses with social innovation to improve gender relations may hold promise for enabling fishery-dependent people to shift pathways out of social-ecological traps.

Beyond social-ecological traps: fostering transformations towards sustainability

“…Through a case study in Zambia, Cole et al (2018) describe how strengthening women's fish processing skills and reducing unequal gender relations can improve food quality. Women operate as fish processors and traders along fish-supply routes in many parts of Zambia.…”

“…Women operate as fish processors and traders along fish-supply routes in many parts of Zambia. Cole et al (2018) describe a program that integrates technical innovation to reduce postharvest fish losses with social innovation to improve gender relations. Through this integrative way of tackling what initially may seem as a very technical problem-fish losses due to rudimentary processing and trading conditions-the small-scale fishery system becomes an entry point for gender transformative change (Cole et al 2018).…”

“…Other articles analyze the disruptive potential of comanagement initiatives (Andrachuk et al 2018, Hanh and Boonstra 2018, Steenbergen and Warren 2018, van Brakel et al 2018. Two insightful articles highlight gender inequality as a social institution that inhibits sustainable development (Cole et al 2018, Fröcklin et al 2018. One paper explores the role of social networks in supporting transformational change when the current social-ecological conditions have become untenable (Barnes et al 2017).…”

Evaluating the Fit of Co-management for Small-Scale Fisheries Governance in Timor-Leste

“…Fishers are often the most vulnerable and marginalized people within a community, stuck in social-ecological traps where fishing is a last resort and high dependence can drive overexploitation (Cinner et al, 2008;Cinner, 2011;Cole et al, 2018). In these cases, the establishment of protected areas can exacerbate marginalization and poverty, especially amongst minorities (Christie, 2004;West et al, 2006;Charles et al, 2016).…”

A gendered ecosystem services approach to identify novel and locally-relevant strategies for jointly improving food security, nutrition, and conservation in the Barotse Floodplain

“…Labour scarcity is likely stronger in the upland communities since men are more prone to dry season migration for fishing, confirmed by womens' more accurate knowledge about eco-type drought patterns than their male counterparts. The population density in the plain increases fourfold during the dry season (wet: <5; dry: 21 people per km2) due to seasonal human migration related to fishing, subsistence farming and cattle grazing (Cole et al, 2018;Mweemba et al, 2012). Diversifying livelihoods by planting various fields on different eco-types is a common strategy in the study area to reduce the risk of food insecurity due to drought or floods.…”