This multidisciplinary project (demography, geography, fishery biology, sociology, economics) co-ordinated by Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen Norway centres on two case studies: in-land fishing communities on Lake Kariba, Zambia and one coastal fishery community in Moree, Ghana (10 km from Cape Coast). Quantitative (household survey of approximately 100 households) and qualitative (focus groups and in-depth interviews) methods collected three types of information: (1) cross-sectional community and household-level population dynamics (fertility, mortality and health, and fishery-related migration), (2) household and community level information on the formal and informal resource management institutions and practices affecting fishery and fishery related resources (e.g. wood used in fish-processing), and (3) information on other important factors shaping fishery activity (policy changes such as structural adjustment, conflicts over resources). The Moree-Ghana study collected longitudinal data (1-year continuous) on gear use and the biophysical characteristics of the quantity and quality of fishery resources. This information is being used to consider characteristics and trends in demographic dynamics and how they interact with resource management institutions to shape the volume and nature of fishery activity, changes in the quality and quantity of fishery resources, and resource conflicts. In Lake Kariba, the links between population dynamics, fishery and agricultural activity are also analysed. The household-level data is also providing a unique micro-level glimpse into the organisation and dynamics of fishing households.(Authors Summary)
Population Dynamics and Resource Management in Small-Scale Fishing Communities in Africa 1998-2000