Political Influences in Inland Fisheries Management in Southern Africa

Food security, livelihood provision, poverty alleviation, and economic development are primary policy objectives in many African countries. Politically inland fisheries are seen as important vehicles for addressing these policy objectives and infrastructural and technological shortfalls are often “sold” as quick fixes. In reality, inland fisheries in most African countries are overfished and fisheries managers are desperately trying to regulate gear use and limit effort in a desperate attempt to prevent collapse. This is in sharp contrast to South Africa where fisheries are primarily used by subsistence and recreational anglers because access was restricted during the apartheid era. As a result, the country never formulated an inland fisheries Policy and fisheries management expertise is absent in most regions. Local governments are thus often dependent on the advice of fisheries consultants whom typically rely on short-term, quick-fix technological interventions, such as the development small-scale gill net fisheries, to drive economic development. While such interventions are politically popular, they are often inappropriate from economic, resource and social perspectives. We discuss how fisheries development attempts in the region have resulted in considerable conflicts between Government agencies attempting to develop fisheries, Conservation Authorities whom have the management mandate and, anglers whom currently use the fishery.