Browsing by Author "Njaya, Friday"

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    Between a rock and a hard place: the need for and challenges to implementation of Rights Based Fisheries Management in small-scale fisheries of Southern Lake Malawi
    (Elsevier, 2016) Hara, Mafaniso; Njaya, Friday
    There has been a decline in commercially valuable fish species, especially the Chambo (Oreochromis spp.), in southern Lake Malawi. Although there might be lack of reliable and scientifically backed evidence, most experts and experienced fishers concur that productivity of most fish stocks in the area is much below par compared to their productivity about two to three decades ago. This leads to the hypotheses that the fish stocks are generally over-exploited. This trend will continue or their productivity will remain at these depressed levels unless appropriate measures are taken. This article argues that Rights Based Management (RBM) could hold the best hope for moving towards sustainable fisheries management in the southern Lake Malawi (Southeast and Southwest Arms) area while recognizing the need for a broad human rights approach for fishing communities. Even then, the implementation of the RBM approach will not be easy given the historical developmental open access management approach and general unorganized characteristics of the small-scale fisheries sector. Of note is that co-management was introduced in area in the early millennium as part of attempts to strengthen user fishing rights, local accountability and stewardship—with mixed results.
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    Challenges and prospects for trans-boundary fisheries in Lakes Chiuta and Kariba
    (Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, University of the Western Cape, 2006) Whande, Webster; Malasha, Isaac; Njaya, Friday
    Community-based conservation (CBC) is a prominent feature of conservation and development policy and practice in southern Africa. It is a generic concept defining different configurations of controlling access to and use of land and natural resources in southern Africa – and has led to the development of policies and legislation in support of community-based natural resources management (CBNRM) and co-management arrangements. Both concepts largely revolve around the premise of devolution of control and management authority over natural resources to facilitate conservation and use of, and local access to, resources. A focus on regional economic integration has offered an opportunity for extending the experiences of CBNRM and comanagement to resources occurring along international boundaries. Different trans-boundary natural resources management (TBNRM) programmes have been initiated in southern Africa. The experience of two inshore fisheries on Lakes Chiuta and Kariba highlights the challenges of TBNRM, especially at local resource users’ level. A proposal for meaningful engagement of local resource-dependent people is suggested in the form of a trans-boundary commons regulated through co-management institutions. Broad implications of this suggestion, including terrestrial TBNRM progammes, are briefly discussed.
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    Challenges of co-management on shared fishery ecosystems: The case of Lake Chiuta
    (Institute for Poverty Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), 2005) Njaya, Friday
    Fisheries co-management initiatives have been implemented in various water bodies of southern Africa since the 1990s (Geheb & Sarch 2002). A Participatory Fisheries Management Programme (PFMP) was introduced on Lakes Malombe, Chilwa and Chiuta in Malawi between 1993 and 1995 (Bell & Donda 1993; Hara & Banda 1997). In Zambia and Zimbabwe, the co-management arrangement has been implemented on Lake Kariba since mid-1990s (Hachongela et al. 1998; Malasha 2003), while Mozambique and South Africa are implementing the initiative in selected areas along the coast (Lopes et al. 1998; Sowman et al. 1998). Community participation in decision-making processes regarding resource monitoring and control through formulation and enforcement of fisheries regulations is a key element in these initiatives. On the other hand, the state is involved in promulgation of a legislative framework and, in some cases, assists the user community to enforce the regulations. The initiation process of these co-management arrangements varies from place to place. In some areas, the state initiated the co-management regimes, while in others user communities started the process. Consequently, outcomes – like equitable access to resources and cost-effectiveness – also vary. Evaluation studies conducted on some small water bodies such as Lake Chiuta and Lake Kariba show that the user community has potential to contribute to sustainable resource management if enabling conditions are created. While most of the previous studies have centred on resource attributes, behavioural patterns and decision-making processes, very little work has focused on the implementation of co-management arrangements in shared water bodies, which is one of the complex factors (Knox & Meinzen-Dick 2001). There has been an emerging interest in transboundary natural resource management (TBNRM) initiatives since 1990, with some countries like South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, and Botswana already advanced in creating enabling conditions (Griffin et al. 1999). However, the approach has mainly been applied to wildlife and forestry sectors. It is against this background that this study was designed to identify some of the major challenges of implementing co-management in shared fishery ecosystems. Lessons will be drawn from Lake Chiuta, which is shared between Malawi and Mozambique.
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    Commons governance in Southern Africa
    (PLAAS, University of the Western Cape, 2009-06-28) Hara, Mafaniso; Matose, Frank; Wilson, Doug; Raakjær, Jesper; Magole, Lapologang; Magole, Lefatshe; Demotts, Rachel; Njaya, Friday; Turner, Stephen; Buscher, Bram; Haller, Tobias; Mvula, Peter; Binauli, Lucy; Chabwela, Harry; Kapasa, Cyprian; Mhlanga, Lindah; Nyikahadzoi, Kefasi
    This Policy Brief is based on synthetic studies undertaken by participants in the Cross Sectoral Commons Governance in Southern Africa (CROSCOG) project between 2007 and 2009, funded by the European Commission (European Commission: FP6-2002-INCO- DEV/SSA-1, contract no. 043982). The objective of the project was to share existing research and experience in the governance of large-scale natural resource commons across various ecosystem types in southern Africa.