Decline in Fish Stock and Livelihood of Small-Scale Fisheries in Shores of Lake Victoria, Tanzania

Yohana James Mgale

doi:10.11648/j.ijaas.20170304.11

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyse the decline of fish stock and its effects to the livelihood of small scale fisheries. The study was conducted at Ilemela District in Mwanza region, Tanzania. Data were collected through interview and focus group discussion with the sample size of 84 respondents plus 4 key informants. The SPSS and STATA software were used in analyzing the collected data and information. This study shows that there are significant changes in amounts of fish catches per day by households in all seasons [before and after decline in fish stock in shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania]. Using descriptive statistics, the catches in low season before decline in fish stock has a mean score of 83.75 as compared to a mean score of 18.33 after decline in fish stock and also catches in high season before decline has a mean score of 158.21 as compared to a mean score of 55.833 after decline this impacted the household on the expenses that depend on the income obtained from fishing activities i.e. purchasing food, clothes, paying hospital bills and school fees. However, illegal fishing and fishing methods i.e. higher temperature caused by climate change, lack of alternative sources of income, population growth and unemployment are major constraints to full exploitation of fishing [production potential] and jeopardizes efforts to improving productivity on the sector. In this regard, government intervention is needed to attract investor or donor in the fish and fishing sector who will provide training to small scale fisheries and ensuring awareness towards fisheries resource in the shores of Lake Victoria and this will reduce the decline of fish stock. In addition, the development partners [provide technical and finances] and government [provide institutional framework, technical and financial] should play great role in protecting fishing in shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania to ensure that, bylaws are formulated to enforce adoption of improved fishing methods and reduce unemployment rate to youth by investing in high labor absorption sectors i.e. labor intensive industries which will contribute to nation GDP.

Highlights

Fishing has been a major source of food for humanity and a provider of employment and economic benefits to households in the world for a long period of time. 90 percent of 38 million people recorded globally as fishers are classified as small scale, and an additional 100 million people are estimated to be involved in the small-scale post-harvest sector [1]
The standard deviation (SD) in low season was 16.03 and 7.28 for before and after decline respectively and in high season were 36.97 and 8.208 for before and after decline of fish stock respectively. This revealed that the livelihood of small scale fisheries household has declined since the income received depends on the quantity of fish catches
Their expenditure was as follows; food ranked number one having mean expenses of 1,729,184TZS, followed by clothes (196,404TZS) paying school fees (117,093TZS) and lastly the hospital expenses with mean expenses of 91,380.95TZS. This revealed that small scale fisheries contribute much to the livelihood of their households and decline of fish stock endangered their welfare because there will be inadequate income to fulfill the welfare needs of the community living in shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania

Summary

Introduction

Fishing has been a major source of food for humanity and a provider of employment and economic benefits to households in the world for a long period of time. 90 percent of 38 million people recorded globally as fishers are classified as small scale, and an additional 100 million people are estimated to be involved in the small-scale post-harvest sector [1]. As the fishing industry expanded and technology made larger catches possible and more areas of the lake exploitable, the received wisdom that fisheries were inexhaustible soon became discredited. The sector provides substantial employment, income, livelihood, foreign earnings and revenue to the country. They contribute about half of the global catch, supplying food for local, national, and global markets. They account for approximately 90 percent of fishing employment along the global supply chain [5]. According to the Ministry of Yohana James Mgale and Nicholaus Edward Nikusekela: Decline in Fish Stock and Livelihood of Small-Scale Fisheries in Shores of Lake Victoria, Tanzania

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