OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Raemaekers, Serge"

Browsing by Author "Raemaekers, Serge"

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Open Access
Booming illegal abalone fishery in Hangberg: Tough lessons for small-scale fisheries governance in South Africa
(2014) De Greef, Kimon; Raemaekers, Serge; Sowman, Merle
Marine capture fisheries around the world are widely perceived to be in a state of crisis, with growing recognition that conventional resource-centred management strategies are insufficient to counter ongoing problems of overexploitation. This is considered particularly true in the small‐scale sector, which employs the overwhelming majority of the world’s fishers but has historically been overlooked. To manage marine resources more sustainably, new approaches to fisheries governance have been sought that recognise the complex nature of fisheries systems, paying attention to the social dimensions of fisheries management in addition to important ecological processes. In South Africa, many of these new approaches have been embraced in a recently adopted policy for the small-scale sector. Attempts to reform marine fisheries have been ongoing in the country since the end of apartheid (a system of legalised racial segregation and white supremacy that ruled for almost 50 years) but have largely failed to bring meaningful change to impoverished fishing communities. Frustration at ineffective reform has contributed to widespread non-compliance – most notably in the abalone fishery, which has collapsed in the face of rampant poaching, driven by a lucrative, illegal export market to the Far East. Although the new small-scale fisheries (SSF) policy has been hailed as a progressive shift in thinking, questions remain about how it is to be implemented. One major challenge will be dealing with illegal fishing. The purpose of this study, was to profile the human dimensions of abalone poaching in the Cape Town fishing community of Hangberg and to draw lessons for implementing the new SSF policy. A qualitative multi-method research approach, based mainly on unstructured interviews and participant observation, was used to access the clandestine fishery and investigate its historical development, current structure, scale and methods of operation and main socio-economic drivers and impacts. It was found that abalone poaching has become deeply embedded in Hangberg, having evolved into a highly organized boat-based fishery in a period of less than 15 years. At least five local poaching groups – representing some 250 individuals in total – currently used dedicated high-powered vessels to access reefs around the Cape Peninsula. Profits earned from poaching are substantial but vary, with poachers operating according to a loose hierarchy and performing a range of different tasks in the fishery. This variation notwithstanding, the illegal fishery appears to have become a mainstay of the impoverished local economy, funding poachers’ expensive lifestyles, in addition to contributing more meaningfully to the livelihoods of an estimated 1000 residents.
Open Access
Characteristics of fishers: a case study of Zeekoevlei, Cape Town
(2017) Gilliland, Toshca-Lee; Raemaekers, Serge
Fisheries are complex socio-ecological systems consisting of both human and ecological components. Managing fishery resources has almost always focused on ecological concerns without due consideration being given to the human dimensions. However, increasingly more scholars are recognising the need to integrate the human dimensions of fisheries management with the ecological concerns. Managing a fishery solely on the basis of ecological information will result in the management strategies being unsuccessful. Understanding the human dimensions is important as it provides insights into who participates in the fisheries industry, and what the behavioural patterns and motivations of the fishers are. This study focused on understanding the human dimensions of fishing at Zeekoevlei, focusing on who the fishers are and why they engage in fishing. It also addressed the source of conflicts at Zeekoevlei. The management of Zeekoevlei and fishing activities is also considered. A mixed methods approach, using a case study design, was adopted. The sample included fourteen fishers and six individuals involved on various levels of management of Zeekoevlei. Data-collection methods included the use of a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. On the basis of this study, the demographics show that two types of fishers were found at Zeekoevlei – recreational and small scale. These fisher groups display contrasting socio-demographic profiles; however, a correlation between socio-demographics and motivations was observed. Recreational fishers appear to be white, educated males who are employed and engage in fishing for a sense of achievement, which is underpinned by the size of the fish. Small-scale fishers, on the other hand, are unemployed coloured males, with low levels of education and to this group of fishers the Zeekoevlei fishery system has an important function as it is used to diversify livelihoods. As with many fisheries, conflicts are prevalent at Zeekoevlei. These conflicts arise between fishers because Zeekoevlei has limited demarcated fishing spots and fishers display ownership over these spots; to exacerbate this situation, Zeekoevlei is located in an open reserve, which makes it easier for fishers to enter the reserve illegally. The management of the vlei appears to be based on recreational considerations with unclear measures to accommodate small-scale fisheries.
Open Access
Climate and environmental change along the East Coast of South Africa: perspectives from a local marine resource- dependent community and scientific researchers
(2019) Duba, Tania; Hermes, Juliet; Blamey, Ross; Raemaekers, Serge
Coastal areas are very susceptible to environmental problems such as sea-level rise, coastal flooding, increased frequency and intensity of extreme events, and changes in marine ecosystems that are arising from global climate change and variability. In the South African context, the Agulhas Current is important for its crucial role in regional climate and weather as well as the fishing livelihood of the coastal communities along the east coast of South Africa. Despite the efforts made to understand the Agulhas Current and the impacts of climate and environmental change, the shelf region remains poorly understood mostly due to the difficulties associated with observing and modelling such strong currents. The marine resource users in the fishing communities along the east coast of South Africa show long term dependence on the neighbouring ocean going back at least three generations. These communities provide long term, rich, detailed, and contextualized environmental knowledge from their daily interactions with the sea. This study seeks to investigate the local climate and environmental change knowledge of the fishers based on their own observations, perceptions, and experiences. The convergence/divergence of the marine resource user’s knowledge with the traditional scientific findings is explored using a broad, participatory methodology including desktop literature analysis, interviews and an adopted version of the Rapid Vulnerability Assessment (RVA). Results show that fishers in Tshani-Mankosi have observed changes in the rainfall, sea surface temperature and wind patterns in their community. According to the fishers, sea surface temperature and annual rainfall seem to have decreased while winds and rainfall related extreme events have increased. Similar observations were noticed in the scientific research at a larger spatial and temporal scale. Key differences and similarities between the two types of knowledge come from factors such as knowledge construction processes, scales, type of data output and parameters of interest. Finally, the study reveals opportunities and challenges of research collaboration between the community and scientific researchers.
Open Access
Climate change and coastal vulnerability: application of vulnerability assessment methodologies in two coastal communities in South Africa
(2016) Griffiths, Chevon; Sowman, Merle; Raemaekers, Serge
Climate and environmental change is a phenomenon which is having a significant effect on human-ecological systems around the world. It is predicted to have a detrimental impact on certain groups and populations; among those most at risk are those who have the highest exposure and sensitivity to the climate and environmental changes and the lowest adaptive capacity. This includes coastal fishing communities and therefore necessitates action at a variety of scales in order to build the resilience of these individuals and groups to the predicted changes and their potential impacts. Vulnerability assessments (VAs) have been identified as an effective way to discover who is most vulnerable and to what threats or hazards. This is valuable as assistance can then be provided to the individuals, groups, regions or countries identified as most vulnerable. VAs can be conducted at a variety of scales and can be either quantitative or qualitative. This research project focused on vulnerability assessments conducted at the local level. These community-scale assessments are important as they are able to elicit finer-scale details, identify the greatest hazards and stressors, and conceptualize adaptation strategies that are locally-informed, context specific and targeted towards a specific community. The focus of this research project was to first assess the vulnerability of two coastal communities in South Africa, namely Doringbaai and St Helena Bay, using a suite of mixed methods which included focus group discussions, the review of secondary data, and key informant interviews. Secondly, this project aimed to assess the potential contribution of a 'rapid vulnerability assessment' (RVA) methodology, conducted in the same two coastal fishing communities, to gain information required to identify appropriate adaptation strategies in the context of climate and environmental change. The RVA is conducted as a workshop over a two-day period and may be followed by key informant interviews on the third day, if appropriate and required. This research sought to compare and contrast the information emanating from the RVA workshops with information obtained from the triangulation of mixed methods used in this study with respect to: key threats and stressors faced by the two small-scale fishing communities, identified environmental changes, impacts of these changes on fisher livelihoods, current coping strategies and potential adaptation strategies. Criteria for assessing the performance of the two different approaches were drawn from the literature and systematically documented. The outcome of the assessment showed that the RVA has value as a VA methodology and is able to identify locally relevant, potentially viable adaptation strategies. It is an effective approach for obtaining a good overview of the vulnerabilities of a community and is thus especially useful in under-resourced and data-poor regions. The conclusion was therefore that it is an exceptionally useful tool as a starting point for vulnerability assessments but can be enriched by combining it with other methods such as the review of secondary data, focus group discussions, surveys, questionnaires and key informant interviews. Furthermore, it is recommended that the RVA includes follow-up research and focuses on flexible adaptation strategies.
Open Access
Livelihoods of small-scale fishers of Struisbaai : implications for Marine Protected Area planning.
(2013) Parker, Kashiefa; Sowman, Merle; Raemaekers, Serge
South Africa’s coastal environment is characterized by an increasing network of Marine Protected Areas (MPA), with the purpose of conserving fisheries resources and marine biodiversity. The coast is also home to over a hundred rural small-scale fisher communities, such as the community at Struisbaai Noord, which are considered to be marginalised communities heavily dependent on marine resources for their food security and income needs. The small-scale fisher community at Struisbaai Noord is one of several fisheries operating in the waters off the coast of Struisbaai. The others are: a migratory commercial line fishery, boat and shore-based recreational fishery, chokka squid commercial fishery, and commercial trawlers. The overall aim of this study is to understand the human (social, economic, cultural and institutional) dimensions of the small-scale fisheries sector in Struisbaai, with a particular focus on the livelihood strategies that fishers in this community employ, in order to inform future marine protected area planning in the Agulhas region.
Restricted
Review of the causes of the rise of the illegal South African abalone fishery and consequent closure of the rights-based fishery
(Elsevier, 2011) Raemaekers, Serge; Hauck, Maria; Burgener, Markus; Mackenzie, Angus; Maharaj, Genevieve; Plagányi, Éva E; Britz, Peter J
The rise of organised illegal fishing and trade in abalone from the late 1990s destabilised South Africa’s historically stable, quota-managed fishery, culminating in its closure in 2008. The development of the fishery is described in a historical context, including the evolution of South Africa’s science-based abalone fishery management system. The diverse suite of responses deployed to combat illegal fishing and the black market trade in abalone are reviewed, including;- fishery reform to expand rights to a greater number of previously disadvantaged fishers, a territorial user rights fishery (TURF) system, special compliance operations and courts, the CITES listing of abalone, and the serial reduction in the TAC, culminating in the controversial and legally contested closure of the fishery. The main causes of the rise of the illegal fishery are diagnosed as 1) the massive increase in the abalone price that occurred in the 1990s triggering an abalone fishing “gold-rush” and 2) the failure of the post-Apartheid fishery reform process to accommodate many traditional fishers in a legal fishing rights framework resulting in them operating outside the formal fishery management system. By contextualising the abalone fishery as a complex system, embedded in South Africa’s socio-political setting, we show how the resource focussed fishery management system did not have the capacity to incorporate the powerful social, political and economic drivers determining fisher behaviour. We conclude with the need to revisit South Africa’s abalone fishery management paradigm, and argue that a more integrated governance approach is required that takes into account the biological, socio-political and economic factors determining the fishery activities.
Open Access
Small-scale fisheries governance in South Africa using information management systems
(2015) Ngqongwa, Abongile; Raemaekers, Serge
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.
Open Access
Towards the co-production of fisheries knowledge for co-management using mobile technologies
(2017) Iversson Piazza, Tatiana; Raemaekers, Serge
Fishing is an ancient way of food gathering, which has been instrumental for the healthy living of many people, for many years. Nowadays, fishing is particularly important to developing countries since the value of fish surpasses that of agricultural commodities such as sugar and rice. People living along the coast have been harvesting marine resources for basic subsistence for generations and at present several small-scale fisheries operate along the South African coastline, ranging from the shore-based harvesting of intertidal resources such as mussels, to the targeting of migratory line-fish stocks using small motorized vessels. Due to their high dependence on marine resource harvesting, small-scale fishers (SSF) are among the most vulnerable socio-economic groups, and while small-scale fisheries employ the vast majority of the world's fishers, they are often marginalized and ignored. The lack of appropriate governance in South African small-scale fisheries has made it hard for fishers to benefit from the resources that are readily available to them. However, changes within fisheries management practices have led to the move from conventional resource-centred strategies to management approaches that recognize the complexity of the sector. The new small-scale fisheries policy, currently in its implementation phase, embraces many of these new approaches but does not necessary prepare small-scale fishers to actively participate in the co-management of their resources. Furthermore, the lack of reliable data and information about small-scale fisheries, due to historical marginalisation, is currently one of the primary challenges facing the sector in the country, and preventing small-fishers from demonstrating to policy makers the potential of the sector to contribute towards food security and poverty eradication. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of a mobile app in bringing about a co-production of fisheries knowledge and stimulating the co-management of fisheries, using the fishing communities of Lambertsbaai on the West Coast and Struisbaai along the South Coast as case studies. The research aimed to understand and assess the concerns and uncertainties of formalizing the mobile app (Abalobi) and explore if the mobile app can entice fishers' enthusiasm towards the implementation of
Open Access
Understanding the livelihoods of small-scale fisheries in Lamberts Bay : implications for the new small-scale fisheries policy
(2015) Nthane, Tsele Tommy; Raemaekers, Serge
Small-scale fishers (SSFs) are among the most vulnerable socio-economic groups because of their high dependence on marine resource harvesting. While small-scale fisheries employ the overwhelming majority of the world's fishers and contribute substantially to the global catch, they are, on the whole, marginalised and ignored. Despite their importance in providing food security and livelihoods in coastal communities, state management authorities routinely neglect small-scale fisheries in favour of industrial fisheries. In South Africa, the exclusion of small-scale fishers is intricately linked with the oppressive policies of the apartheid government, which limited access to the fisheries for the largely Black and Coloured smallscale fishers. Changes within fisheries management practices led to the development of management tools that moved away from conventional resource-centred strategies, to management approaches that recognised the complexity of natural and ecological processes inherent within small-scale fisheries. Many of these new approaches have been embraced in South Africa's new small-scale fisheries policy. The policy represents a long line of arguably failed attempts at reforming South African fisheries undertaken by the South African government. While the policy is unique in the scale of participation by the small-scale fishers themselves it is still faced with the hurdle of implementation. The adoption of the individual rights approach embodied by the individual quota (IQ) system in the post-apartheid reforms has led to divisions within the community. Fishing rights benefited a small elite and disenfranchised many more fishers for whom fishing was a livelihood, but were excluded from the rights allocations. The new small-scale fisheries policy is widely acknowledged as progressive and carries the hope of inclusion for small-scale fishers along South Africa's coasts. After decades of disenfranchisement and individual rights allocations, the major challenge in the new policy's implementation will be dealing with the range of complex and unique communities in which the policy will be carried out. The purpose of this study was to establish a profile of the Lamberts Bay small-scale fisher groups and their perceptions regarding the new small-scale fisher policy, in order to inform the policy's implementation in Lamberts Bay.
Open Access
Unlocking small-scale fisheries value chains through Information & Communication Technology (ICT) - the case studies of Lamberts Bay & Kleinmond, South Africa
(2019) George, Robin Peter; Raemaekers, Serge; Haysom, Gareth
Focusing on the small-scale fisheries sector, this thesis examines the question of how the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can unlock value chain opportunities for fishers. Using a case study approach by focusing on the communities of Lamberts Bay and Kleinmond in the Western Cape of South Africa, it seeks to discover what ICTs should take cognisance of to adequately speak to the value chain realities of small-scale fishers. Some of the work done was observed while engaging with fishers from both communities and other relevant stakeholders during certain engagements with the Abalobi programme, a co-designed smartphone application programme. The emphasis of the research was to speak to different stakeholders who are involved in the value chain and who are engaging with or impact the value chains of small-scale fishing communities. As value chains start with small-scale fishers, their narratives are of utmost importance as they are the initiators of these value chains. The three objectives of this research are to understand the value chain activities of the two communities, differentiate the different value chain activities of the communities at the local, regional and international levels and then contribute to how ICTs such as Abalobi can assist efforts of connecting fishers to their markets. Interviewing and engaging fishers, supportive organisations, authorities, value chain stakeholders in both communities as well as corporates and an ICT specialist, the thesis considers the different perspectives and needs of those involved in the small-scale fisheries value chain. The result of this thesis lead to six ICT requirements being identified to unlocking of small-scale fishing value chains: easy to use, self-sustaining, people-centred and inclusive, integrated, evolving and detailed. Although value chains exist in the sector, ICTs can enable better coordination between stakeholders in it. This research was done to understand how ICTs as a tool can improve and better facilitate the interactions between fishers and their desired markets and that their narratives are brought to the fore in understanding the value chains and in sourcing ICT solutions for them.

Browsing by Author "Raemaekers, Serge"

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