Co-management of bait-collecting fishers working in the Swartkops estuary

This project aims to develop and implement appropriate co-management arrangements at three pilot sites in South Africa. The Swartkops estuary is one of the pilot sites. In terms of the co-management guidelines developed by Hauck and Sowman (2005), the Swartkops bait fishery has moved through the “Planning and Development” stage of problem recognition, feasibility analysis and preliminary assessment. It is now moving towards the stage of “Implementation”. This entails participatory research, training and capacity building, developing the co-management plan, and developing & implementing the co-management agreement.

Catch Monitor recording fish catch size. Photo: Lynette Munro

Aims and Objectives

The project aims to:

Design and implement training programmes;

Facilitate and support co-management structures;

Finalise co-management plans;

Develop a monitoring and evaluation system for the project.

It is intended that the skills and abilities of on-the-ground service providers be consolidated and/or increased so that UCT’s involvement can be phased out by the end of 2008.

Key activities for 2006-2007 are to:

Review the resource monitoring system with local monitors;

Consider alternative estuary management options;

Investigate and act upon the issues requiring management at Amsterdamhoek (for example, zonation);

Develop a resource management plan with defined open/closed areas;

Investigate the number of illegal fishers harvesting bait;

Ensure or launch awareness raising amongst recreational fishers concerning the conditions linked to the bait fishery being provided by the subsistence fishers;

Investigate the activities of the “new” entrants into the estuary from the nearby site and service settlement;

Investigate law enforcement capacity and priorities for the area;

Investigate mechanisms for awareness raising of recreational fishers (signboards for example, advising buyers of the process to ensure that they purchase from legal bait harvesters);

Develop a communication strategy between all stakeholders;

Identify the role of the stakeholders/agencies;

Investigate institutional linkages between stakeholders.

Outputs

Access of subsistence and small-scale fishers to marine and estuarine resources is affirmed.

Understanding of the importance of sustainable use and management of resources is enhanced and the quality of the environment improved.

Understanding of resource management issues by coastal users results in involvement and local custodianship of resources.

Transfer of organisational skills to fishers and community groups and enhanced ability and capacity for these groups to engage in entrepreneurial ventures.

Employment provision to community members through the community-based monitoring system.

Exploration of alternative livelihood opportunities to complement livelihoods based on harvesting marine resources.

Research Team

This programme is a collaborative project being undertaken jointly between the EEU and the Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) at the University of the Western Cape link.

In addition the project is being undertaken with management and participation from staff of the Estuaries and Marine Protected Areas sub-directorate of the Chief Directorate Marine and Coastal Management (MCM), in the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) link .

The Chr Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway, is also involved in supporting this programme.

EEU Researchers

Merle Sowman

Maria Hauck

Mariam January