Enhancing the livelihood of small-scale fishers in the context of vulnerability

This brief is based on a doctoral study which examined the socio-economic conditions of small-scale fishers on Lake Kariba and identified environmental threats on the fishery. The study further investigated how small-scale fishers adapted to the socio-economic and environmental changes over time to determine interventions for sustainable fisheries management. Primary data was obtained across the fisheries value chain including fishers using a mixed method approach. Responses were conceptualised to provide site-specific strategies for both practical and theoretical lessons to enhance adaptive capacity. Data analysis captured from a series of experimental gillnet surveys did not show a significant decline in fish production over the past 13 years ( R² Linear = 0.119, P = 0.248 ). However, fishers and experts reported declining trends in valuable fish species like Oreochromis mortimeri , coupled with increased fishing effort, which is attributed to inadequate institutional arrangements to safeguard the integrity of the fishery.