GEHEB, K. 1, M. MEDARD2, M. KYANGWA3 & C. LWENYA4

1Lake Victoria Fisheries Research Project, P. O. Box 2145, Jinja, Uganda
2Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, P. O. Box 475, Mwanza, Tanzania
3Fisheries Resources Research Institute, P. O. Box 343, Jinja, Uganda
4Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, P. O. Box 1881, Kisumu, Kenya

The future of change: Roles, dynamics and functions for fishing communities in the management of Lake Victoria's fisheries

To date, "co-management" within the context of the discussion on Lake Victoria's fisheries has been used either as a vernacular term used to lure donor funds, or derided as "anarchic" and "contributing to lawlessness".

Drawing on four years of extensive research around Lake Victoria, this paper assesses the capabilities of fishing communities to contribute towards the management of this lake's fisheries. It identifies a series of local level institutions that show considerable promise in this regard. It suggests that amongst the tantalising benefits that may be yielded are wide-spread monitoring, access controls on effort, regulations suitable for highly localised conditions and dynamics, conflict solution mechanisms and graduated sanctioning systems infinitely more efficient than state-based justice systems.

The paper considers ways in which communities may be incorporated into management structures. It argues that the main obstacles to achieving such an outcome lie in political resistance to change and deeply rooted suspicions of anyone but bureaucrats to carry out and fulfil management objectives. If management on Lake Victoria is to seriously consider communities as an extension of its activities, the paper concludes, political will and concerted administrative change will be necessary.