The Lake Chilwa Fishing Household Strategies in Response to Water Level Changes: Migration

THE LAKE CHILWA FISHING HOUSEHOLD STRATEGIES IN RESPONSE TO WATER LEVEL CHANGES: MIGRATION, CONFLICTS AND CO-MANAGEMENT FRIDAY JACK NJAYA A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of the Western Cape September 2009 Supervisors Dr Douglas C. Wilson Dr Mafaniso M. Hara THE LAKE CHILWA FISHING HOUSEHOLD STRATEGIES IN RESPONSE TO WATER LEVEL CHANGES: MIGRATION, CONFLICTS AND CO-MANAGEMENT Friday Jack Njaya KEYWORDS Water level changes Household strategies Lake recession Migration of fishers Conflicts Co-management Diversified livelihoods Participation Accountability ii ABSTRACT THE LAKE CHILWA FISHING HOUSEHOLD STRATEGIES IN RESPONSE TO WATER LEVEL CHANGES: MIGRATION, CONFLICTS AND CO-MANAGEMENT Friday Jack Njaya PhD Thesis, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of the Western Cape In this thesis, I examine household strategies in response to water level fluctuations of Lake Chilwa. I also analyse the frequency and patterns of migration of fishers, conflicts due to migration of fishers and co- management. The following are the key results: First, the seasonal and periodic lake level changes affect livelihoods of the households. As a coping strategy, the households depend on fishing in pools of water located in influent rivers and hunt birds for income and food while others migrate to find work as casual labourers. When the lake rises during the rain season, inundated areas become suitable for production of maize and rice. However, when the floods recede in the dry season, farming of winter maize and vegetables is common. Second, migration of fishers is common around Lake Chilwa. The pattern of migration varies according to the season and gear type. The northern marshes and floodplain where fishers land the highest catches composed mainly of Barbus paludinosus, attract more fishers operating different fishing gear types. Conflicts emerge due to the Nkacha seine operations, which require removal of aquatic vegetation. The local fishers believe that the aquatic vegetation is a source of food for fish. The conflicts are in iii various forms including access to fishing grounds, authority to grant access to fishing areas and fish price competition between the local fishers and migrants. Third, the household strategies towards recovery of the fishery after recessions are inherent within the households’ traditional system. However, the introduction of co-management does not recognise key actors that include fishers and river-based fishing households that participated in the formulation of conservation strategies for remnant fish stocks in lagoon and rivers during the 1995 recession. Co-management is characterised by limited participation of the fishers especially those operating seines, district assemblies and non-governmental organisations. Similarly, there is low transparency especially with respect to how the key stakeholders, Department of Fisheries and traditional leaders, take decisions. In stark contrast, accountability among Beach Village Sub- Committees is growing; hence more fishing households now perceive these as representing the interests of Department of Fisheries. Based on the above results, a diversified occupational change involving fishing, farming and trading is necessary. The co-management arrangement should be adaptive with consideration of the traditional customs and values of the participating households. Since these households are dependent on the availability of fisheries, it is thus imperative to promote maximum resource exploitation in between recessions and encourage a complete stop to fishing during recessions. September 2009 iv DECLARATION I declare that The Lake Chilwa fishing household strategies in response to water level changes: migration, conflicts and co-management is my own work, that it has not been submitted before for any degree or examination in any other university, and that all the sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged as complete references. Friday Jack Njaya September 2009 Signed:……………………………. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am greatly indebted to too numerous people to name them all, for the distinguished roles they played during my study. These roles included knowledge sharing during interviews, logistical arrangements and primary data collection. However, as a matter of principle, it is inevitable to single out the following individuals: First, I greatly appreciate the support I received from traditional leaders, fishers and households in Traditional Authorities of Kawinga, Mlomba, Mposa, Kumtumanje, Mkumbira, Mwambo, Mkhumba and Chiwalo around Lake Chilwa. These leaders selflessly shared with me their experiences on the periodic recessions of the lake and migration patterns of fishers through interviews. Second, I sincerely thank Prof Jesper Nielsen and Prof Ben Cousins for helping me register at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa. The professors first mooted the possibility of my studying for a PhD at UWC at an International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) conference, at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in 2002. A few months after this fortuitous meeting, my research proposal was accepted and I duly enrolled as a PhD candidate. Third, I am grateful to Dr Mafaniso Hara and Dr Douglas Wilson for guiding me through the research and writing process. Dr Hara, who is a senior researcher at the Institute for Poverty Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) of the UWC, helped me identify a supervisor with a background in the social sciences. This is how I met Dr Wilson - a senior researcher at the Innovative Fisheries Management (IFM) Denmark. Fortunately, Dr Wilson was willing to be my main supervisor with Dr Hara, as co-supervisor. In addition, both supervisors helped me secure funding for the study. I am deeply indebted to them. vi Fourth, the former Directors of Fisheries, the late Mr S.A. Mapila and Dr S. Chimatiro and the incumbent, Mr A. Bulirani, deserve special recognition for endorsing this study. Dr Steve Donda, the Deputy Director of Fisheries was also pivotal in making logistical arrangements for my field studies. Fifth, I would like to thank Messrs J. Kasuzweni, P. Chimdenga, B. Lipato and P. Bato and all field staff around Lake Chilwa for their unwavering support during the field interviews. It would be remiss of me if I failed to acknowledge the efforts of Messrs Aipa, Bakali and Monjeza (deceased), who drove me around during fieldwork. I am also deeply indebted to my wife Lizzie, who unfailing encouraged me to stay the course even when times were tough. Unfortunately, she passed away just a few days before submission of the thesis. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the support I got from staff at PLAAS, University of the Western Cape, South Africa and IFM, University of Aarborg, Denmark. Both institutes were instrumental in facilitating my study. The following are a few of the members of staff (administrative, technical and academic) that I frequently interacted with during the study: Ursula Arends, Carla Henry, Genevieve Daries, Thelma Fennie, Mr Joshua, Mr Donovan Delpaul and Dr Moenieba Isaacs for PLAAS, and Ninna Broen for IFM. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iii DECLARATION .................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................. xii LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................. xiii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................. xv DEDICATION .................................................................................................. xviii CHAPTER 1 ........................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background .............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Study area ................................................................................................ 5 1.2.2 Socio-economic profile of Malawi ................................................... 7 1.2.3 Fisheries sector ................................................................................. 9 1.2.4 Fish marketing ................................................................................ 11 1.3 Lake Chilwa fishery ............................................................................... 14 1.3.1 Location and size ............................................................................ 14 1.3.2 Water level changes ........................................................................ 15 1.3.3 Temperature, evapotranspiration and humidity .............................. 17 1.3.4 Rainfall ........................................................................................... 18 1.3.5 Demography ................................................................................... 19 1.3.6 Description of dominant fish species

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