Lake Ngami fishermen face another eviction

In an interesting turn of events, relocated Lake Ngami fishermen who were told to fish at other areas following the fishing ban at the lake are facing another eviction from those areas as residents complain of swelling sanitation problems.

The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama, issued a fishing ban at Lake Ngami for a year following environmental pollution concerns and the fishermen were told to fish at other areas such as the Okavango Delta, Thamalakane and Kunyere rivers.

The fishermen now find themselves in a desperate situation as they are not welcome in the new localities. Residents complain that the fishermen camp on river shores without having consulted community leaders and that they make the rivers very unsightly. Residents have also expressed fear that if the situation continued unabated, the sanitation situation may resemble that found at Lake Ngami.

The Botswana Gazette spoke to one resident, Semumu Samaxa, who resides at Xhobe Settlement in the outskirts of Maun who said the fishermen were a concern and noted that the river is drying and the fishermen worsen the situation as they splash water from the river through the high boat traffic. “These fishermen also scare away hippopotamus from the river forcing them into our farms where they destroy crops and pose danger to people,” he said
Read more at http://www.gazettebw.com/di-mashis-rise-to-the-top/

Planet in Peril: An Atlas of Current Threats to People and the Environment

This atlas illustrates through text, graphics and diagrams the interplay between population and the world’s ecosystems and natural resources both in the short and long terms. It brings together a wealth of information from the most up-to-date sources on such key issues as climate change, access to water, exploitation of ocean resources, nuclear energy and waste, renewable energy, weapons of mass destruction, causes of industrial accidents, waste, export, hunger, genetically modified organisms, urban development, access to health care and ecological change.

The atlas is available at: http://www.grida.no/publications/planet-in-peril/

Working with communities 'best for managing fisheries'

According to a study by the World Conservation Society (WCS) and ARC Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia, collaborative arrangements among stakeholders — involving in particular local communities — are the best way to manage fisheries, but their success depends on certain social and institutional conditions being met. The study is the world's largest field study of its kind, covering 42 different sites across the Indo-Pacific ocean , including Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Papua New Guinea. The team of 17 scientists concluded that co-management was the most successful way of meeting both the livelihood needs of local communities and protecting fish stocks. Far less successful were such approaches as unrestricted access to fish stocks and top-down government control. Link to full article available here.

Most fish in the sea evolved on land

Although oceans have been teeming with fish for almost half a billion years, there has been new findings on their origins. In their research of evolutionary tree of ray finned fish (a mega group comprising 96% of all freshwater and marine fish species on the planet), Greta Vega and John Wiens of Stony Brook University in New York, notices something peculiar. They discovered that all the fossils belonging to the ancestral group of that gave rise to ray-fins some 300 million years ago came from freshwater deposit. However, according to the two researchers, the ray-fins did not take to the sea until about 170 million years. Their descendants now make up three quarters of all marine fish. Read more about this article in the New Scientist now available in the ORI Library.

"With water comes life":Peter Hancock

In this article, the author Peter Hancock discusses the positive and negative impacts of the biggest Okavango floods in living memory. He maintains that although the floods have had some positive impact on the ecosystems, they have also impacted negatively on the people who live in and around the Okavango. Bursting at the seams, the Delta has escaped from the constraints of the Buffalo Fence, expanding into human settlements and livestock areas and restoring pastures. Fish have bred prolifically in the shallow new floodplains and re-colonised previously dry lagoons. Keta Mosepele, Fisheries Biologist at ORI, commented that this development is unsurprising as the fish fauna of the Okavango Delta is geared to flood cycles. The cichlids (bream species) are able to increase quickly by reproducing at a younger stage, filling the new available habitats. However, one of the negative impacts of the floods has been on the the herbivore population. Richard Fynn, Rangeland Ecologist at ORI, maintains that since the floods have inundated the traditional alluvial floodplains, animals have been forced off to feed on new floodplains in less productive sandy areas.

Gaps in traps make for sustainable fisheries

According to research in Kenya, fitting traditional fish traps with 'escape gaps' dramatically reduces the catch of non-target fish while maintaining fishers' incomes. Local fishermen built traditional basket traps and then added vertical rectangular gaps, 2–4 centimetres by 30 centimetres, to their sides. These gaps allow juvenile and narrow-bodied species to escape but retain larger target
species. Reducing wasteful 'bycatch' — young or small fish that are not always sold — is a key aspect of increasing the sustainability of fisheries and this low-cost, low-tech innovation can contribute to poverty reduction and increase the biodiversity of fishery ecosystems.

ACP Fish II Networking meeting and reception at SADC premises

ORI Senior Research Scholar, K. Mosepele featured as one of the guest speakers at ACP Fish II Networking meeting and reception at SADC premises in Gaborone. His presentation under the theme "Floodplain fisheries management, issues, debates and challenges: the case of the Okavango Delta", was one of the two presentations made. The second one was done by Dr Peter Britz - Professor in the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University - under the theme "Regional management of shared fisheries resources: from science to governance." The meeting also created an opportunity for the ACP Fish Network to join with other national and regional stakeholders to examine critical issues for the sustainable management of fisheries in southern Africa. Participants were invited to contribute to the technical discussions, examine their own role and potential involvement in solutions whilst also examining the contribution of ACP Fish II in the sector.

Climate change may reduce crop and animal size

Scientists have warned that some animals and plants may shrink in size because of climate change over the next century, threatening food security and human livelihoods. Climate change will lead to higher temperatures and a decrease in rainfall, which, along with the increase in carbon dioxide levels will reduce the growth of a range of crops and protein sources, such as fish, that are crucial for human nutrition, say researchers in an article in Nature Climate Change. Previous studies have found that global warming is causing earlier migration, breeding and flowering among species but little was known about how the changing climate might affect their size. "The authors cite studies showing that some plant and several fish species are becoming smaller —fish shrink by up to a fifth for every degree Celsius increase. Full link to article available here.

Possible ocean apocalypse

The International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) has released a report assessing how climate change, overexploitation, pollution, habitat loss and other stressors have the ocean as a whole. According to the report, we are on a course for mass extinction that would include coral reefs and the menagerie of species that rely on them, as well as multiple species of fish consumed by people. Head of IPSO, Alex Rogers maintains that the biggest problem is the rapid pace of climate change which is virtually unprecedented. Other harmful factors include the acidification of oceans as a result of CO2 dissolving in the water, making corals more susceptible to bleaching. The article is available in the latest issue of New Scientist in the ORI Library.

Environmental impact research urged for fish farming

According to a report by the WorldFish Center and the non-profit organisation Conservation International, more research and sharing of best practice could minimise the environmental impacts of aquaculture, and maximise its potential to alleviate food insecurity. Almost half of all seafood consumed originates from aquaculture and in 2008, production reached nearly 66 million tonnes , and the report projects that this could increase to up to 110 million tonnes by 2030. "The growth in farmed fish supply has significantly outpaced growth in world population," the report said. The report is the first global assessment of the trends and impacts of cultivated seafood. The report said that, in terms of ecological efficiency and environmental impact, aquaculture has clear benefits over other forms of animal source food production for human consumption. Full report available here.

Warning Of Mass Extinction Of Marine Species

A new report from experts in the disciplines of coral-reef ecology and fisheries maintains that ocean life is 'at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history.' According to Carl Gustaf Lundin, Director of the Global Marine and Polar Program at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which helped produce the report with the International Program on the State of the Ocean (IPSO, the team found firm evidence that human-induced impacts such as climate change, overfishing, and nutrient runoff from farming have already caused a dramatic decline in ocean health. Full report available here

Fishing for Sustainable Practices to Conserve Fisheries

Global fish production has reached an all-time high, according to Nourishing the Planet’s latest research for the Worldwatch Institute’s Vital Signs Online publication. Aquaculture, or fish farming—once a minor contributor to total fish harvest—increased 50-fold between the 1950s and 2008 and now contributes nearly half of all fish produced worldwide. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, an estimated 53 percent of fisheries are considered fully exploited—harvested to their maximum sustainable levels—with no room for expansion in production. Increased farming of large predators, such as salmon and tuna, has led to overfishing of prey fish—including anchoveta and herring, which are commonly used as fishmeal. In Africa, an estimated 100 million people depend on fish from inland sources, such as lakes and rivers, for income as well as protein and much-needed micronutrients like vitamin A, calcium, iron, and zinc. But coastal fisheries across West Africa have declined by up to 50 percent in the last 30 years due to significant pressure from large industrial fleets.

Fish farms need monitoring technologies

According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), poor countries could reconcile the soaring demand for fish with the need to safeguard biodiversity and make the fishing sector sustainable by harnessing a raft of new technologies. The farming of fish and shellfish is the fastest-growing area of animal food production, accounting for almost half of the total supply of fish for food according to The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2010 report. And fish consumption is at an all-time high, said the report. But, to ensure that wild fisheries and aquaculture continue to provide income for subsistence and small-scale fisheries — and protein for billions of people — poor countries need to embrace the internet, geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing, said the report. Technology has "reached the point of becoming an essential step in providing the enabling environment for the development of marine aquaculture". Full report available here.

The state of world fisheries and aquaculture

This publication gives an analysis and review of the latest available global statistics and trends in fisheries and aquaculture. It emphasizes the growing need to focus on the many facets of policy and governance and the critical factors that contribute to poverty in small-scale fishing communities, such as: insecure access rights to fishery resources; poor or absent health and educational services; lack of social safety nets; vulnerability to 'natural' disasters and climate change; and exclusion from wider development processes owing to weak organizational structures and inadequate representation and participation in decision-making. It also examines the impacts on the sector of climate change, biodiversity loss, quality certification and product traceability.Access the document at:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1820e/i1820e.pdf

Decision-making and Action Taking: Fisheries Management in a Changing Climate

Fisheries decision-makers are faced with the challenge of how to respond to existing and predicted changes in ocean conditions that are likely to affect the stocks of fish they manage. In order to address climate change most research and thinking advises decision-makers to ensure that fisheries are well-managed and abundant in an ecosystem context. These policies can best allow fisheries to adapt to changing climate. To address climate change, decision-makers should carefully monitor changing conditions and potential changes in factors affecting fish stock abundance. An adaptive approach to fisheries management under conditions of climate change requires that decision-makers engage with fishing interests in a transparent manner and in ways that respect the input of fishing interests and in ways that acknowledge the levels of uncertainty. More insight on this issues at:http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/download/fulltext/5kgkhnb9gpth.pdf?expires=1295505126&id=0000&accname=guest&checksum=31A46C5F6E7F52795B72A8127964C3B4

Blue Harvest: Inland Fisheries as an Ecosystem Service

The report focuses on the importance of inland fisheries as an ecosystem service that not only contributes significantly to food production and livelihoods in many parts of the world but at the same time depends upon a sustained supply of freshwater of appropriate quality and sustainable ecosystems functioning. The assessment looks at the pressures and the drivers of ecosystems degradation that affect inland fisheries, and reviews opportunities on how to manage inland fisheries sustainably through ecosystem management approaches. The publication aims at raising awareness about the importance of inland fisheries as they provide multiple benefits to humans but have been found to be in decline and about the relevance of developing capacities to improve the management of the environment required to protect and sustain this ecosystem service in the long term. The report is available on the UNEP site.

Socio-economic survey of commercial fishing in the Okavango Delta

The report "Socio-economic survey of commercial fishing in the Okavango Delta, Botswana by K. Mosepele and B.N. Ngwenya featured in the the recently published Okavango Report Series,#7 , is part of the BIOKAVANGO Fisheries sector, and aims at providing current data on the social and economic background of commercial fishing. The objectives of the survey included amongst others:
To provide a desktop survey of available information on the socioeconomics of commercial fishery, to assess existing literature on the impact of government financial assistance schemes on the commercialisation of the Okavango Delta fishery, to evaluate the viability and accessibility of alternative schemes for development of the fishery, to assess the the socio-economc status of commercial fisheries and to examine the present and potential role of women and children in commercial fishing in the Okavango Delta fishery. The report is now available in the HOORC Library.

Management Strategy Evaluation and Management Procedures: Tools for Rebuilding and Sustaining Fisheries

Fisheries management is complicated in most cases by a high degree of uncertainty about the current state and expected growth of fish stocks and about the economic and social factors that affect the desirable harvest levels. Even for fisheries with excellent data collection programs, scientific surveys and sophisticated assessments, the estimates of catch levels that will maintain healthy fisheries or rebuild depleted ones are often far from accurate. Consequently recommended catch levels often fluctuate more than necessary in response to error in assessments rather than true stock variability and frequently react too slowly due to lags in data collection, assessment and implementation. The paper discusses an approach for evaluating and implementing fishery management strategies known as management strategy evaluation (MSE), also sometimes referred to as the management procedure (MP) approach that is designed to identify and operationalise strategies for managing fisheries that are robust to several types of uncertainty and capable of balancing multiple economic, social and biological objectives. When implemented correctly an MSE should result in clear and measurable objectives and a robust process for achieving them that fishery managers and stakeholders have jointly developed and agreed to. For more visit the OECD Library.

Fish stock decline in the Okavango: fact or fiction?

In this article, the authors, K.Mosepele, B.Mosepele and T.Bokhutlo critically examine whether the conflicts reported nationally and internationally between the local fishermen in the Okavango panhandle and tourists (i.e. sport fishers) who come to the Delta for fishing are real and whether the fish population is really declining. Certain elements come to play in explaining what actually happens in the fishing activities. Because of the different fisher groups and their different value systems, the delta’s fishery is characterised by conflict. Typically the commercial fishers with their effective fishing equipment are accused by sport fishers of over-exploitation because of their inability to catch trophy sized fish. However, in their defence, commercial fishers’ claim that this failure by sport fishers to catch trophy size fish is caused by their lack of traditional ecological knowledge. The authors further explain that low fish production during low flood years means less fish biomass is available to all categories of fishers and this is often misinterpreted as over-exploitation. Secondly, because of poorly defined user rights, the same areas are used by different fisher groups –another clear source of conflict that end up competing for fishing space. On the issue of the decline in fish population, the authors opine that indicators on the ground show that this is not the case as research has revealed that compared to other African freshwater fisheries, the Delta’s fishery is relatively under exploited and fishing can still be increased without any fear of over-exploitation. This article is available in the latest Peolwane magazine, in the HOORC Library.

Ecosystem approach to fisheries and aquaculture: Implementing the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

This publication provides guidance on how to implement the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) using an ecosystem approach to fisheries and aquaculture. The CCRF is a voluntary code covering all aspects of the management and development of fisheries and is designed to ensure sustainable development without adversely affecting the livelihoods of local communities that share the same resources as the fisheries. The authors outline the basic principles of the CCRF; describe concrete steps to be taken to use the ecosystem approach effectively, and recommend certain institutional changes and reforms that will be necessary if the potential of the ecosystem approach is to be realized in the Asia-Pacific region. Full paper available on the FAO website.