Publication Date:
2021-05-19
Description:
Before the emergence of fish processing for export, fishermen from Partner States generally moved freely and landed fish even across common borders. Increased commercialization especially for Nile perch exports led to intensification of law enforcement by individual Partner States to protect raw material for their industries. This sparked off conflicts in cross border fishing and fish trade on Lake Victoria which became most pronounced in 2001. The conflicts caused significant socioeconomic disruptions to the fisher communities, particularly those along the common borders. The causes of the conflicts included fishers being denied access to fishing grounds and markets across national borders. In collaboration with IUCN, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization initiated a process to resolve the conflicts. The process involved identifying the causes of the conflicts, setting up a strategy and action plan to resolve the conflicts, promoting dialogue between fisheries managers, district authorities and fishermen, and providing them with relevant information. Field investigations revealed some of the underlying causes of the conflict. The industrialization of the Nile perch fishery and its high demand on the international markets increased the demand for raw material across national boarders. The high demand for fish fuelled an increase in fishing effort and use of illegal fishing gears and methods on the lake. Other problems such as use of armed guards by influential fishers to “zone off” rich fishing grounds, carrying weapons such as clubs, catapults and pangas by fishers, as well as theft of fishing gears and equipment, and piracy emerged on the lake. These led to strengthening of law enforcement by individual Partner States to curb the illegalities and resulted into arrest of a cross-section of fishers of different nationalities who were using wrong gears/methods, those fishing without appropriate licence, and those traversing national boundaries in search of raw material. Limited understanding of the legal requirements to fish across the borders in another Partner States rendered the fishers victims of law enforcement. The Fisheries Management Committee, the Executive Committee and the Policy Steering Committee of the LVFO held a series of meetings and agreed on modalities for addressing conflicts in crossborder fishing and fish trade. The LVFO Council of Ministers adopted a regional strategy for cross border fishing and fish trade in June 2002, which is being implemented by the Partner States. At the national level, local authorities in borders districts and District Fisheries Officers held regular security meetings to address the conflicts. Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community-based Organizations (CBOs) were involved in advocacy for improvement of the fisher communities’ livelihood. A strategy for community involvement in tranboundary fishery management was drawn up for implementation by the Partner States at the borders. The strategy encompasses investigating causes of the conflicts; sensitization of resource users; carrying out needs assessment of the resource users; establishing of formal communication arrangement between the communities along a common border; initiating agreements to work together; provision of simplified information on fisheries policies, laws and regulations; sharing of experiences and ideas.
Description:
Published
Keywords:
Inland waters
;
Fishery management
;
Fishery policy
;
Fishery disputes
;
Legal aspects
;
Fishing rights
;
Fishery regulations
Repository Name:
AquaDocs
Type:
Report Section
,
Not Known
Format:
pp.172-176
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