Small-scale fisheries governance in South Africa using information management systems
Master Thesis
2015
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University of Cape Town
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Conventional management approaches, focused primarily on stock status and top-down driven regulatory measures, such as are employed in many commercial fisheries across the globe, have proven to be inadequate in managing small-scale fisheries and have contributed to marginalisation of this sector. In South Africa, small-scale fisheries have been increasingly recognised since the abolishment of Apartheid and the advent of democracy in 1994. Nevertheless, the management approaches implemented have been largely top-down, natural science-driven and single-species approach. South Africa's fishery sector is currently going through a historic moment where all small-scale fishers are awaiting implementation of a new Small-Scale Fisheries Policy that will see it endorsing the holistic, multi-species and people-centred approach and the recognition of local and indigenous knowledge of fisheries and addressing the complex socio-economic needs of the fishers. However, in order to implement this policy using a co-management and EAF approach, Government and fishing communities will need to set up the required information-gathering and monitoring tool that would be in line with the principles and objectives of the South African Small-Scale Fisheries Policy as careful assessment of social and economic outcomes of fisheries policies is required to support and sustain livelihoods of these fishers. A proper information management system (IMS) would further ensure that the new approaches to small-scale fisheries management are practical and effective in managing this sector. In investigating the small-scale fisheries information management system, the researcher conceptualised and designed an IMS and further conducted case studies by analysing and work-shopping results of analysed catch data recorded by an independent service provider to Doringbaai small-scale fishers, and analysed catch data of East Coast Rock Lobster in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Based on the results of the conceptualised and designed IMS and that of the analysed catch data, it is clear that there is a need for the IMS to be converted into a web-based system and further accommodate more indicators that would assist in equipping fishers and fisheries authorities with relevant decision-making. It is also clear that there is a need for an urgent overhaul in how catch data is gathered and packaged as there were numerous errors in the data that could affect how small-scale fisheries should be managed. One of the interventions urgently needed is implementation of an electronic data capturing and instant synchronisation of data into the IMS which would present live data through a web interface customised per user type. Such tool would improve the current management measures and further contribute to improving governance of small-scale fisheries when the Small-Scale Fisheries Policy is implemented.
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Ngqongwa, A. 2015. Small-scale fisheries governance in South Africa using information management systems. University of Cape Town.