ISSN:
1573-5117
Keywords:
L. Tanganyika
;
management
;
responsible fisheries
;
sustainable development
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract Lake Tanganyika hosts one of the largest inland fisheries in Africa and is a significant source of food and livelihood to millions dwelling inside and outside of its basin. The lake and its environs support a wide array of subsistence and commercial activity as well as a remarkable assemblage of tropical flora and fauna, including highly diverse populations of endemic fish. This paper describes efforts undertaken through the FAO/FINNIDA Lake Tanganyika Research Project (LTR) to investigate the lake's production and potential and to advise on modalities for the optimal management of its resources, in order to serve present and future human welfare and conservation needs. Specifically, the paper essays to: (a) provide background on the scope and content of LTR Project work; (b) situate project research and methodologies in terms of contemporary developments in fisheries management theory and application; (c) identify and characterise, with reference to research outcomes generated through the project's Scientific Sampling Programme, socio-economic investigations and legal-institutional studies, major development and management challenges that confront fisheries resource users, administrators, planners, and policy makers; and finally, (d) consider various policy options appropriate to conditions of ecosystem uncertainty, plural stakeholder interests and complex interactions between fishing and non-fishing sectors of the wider economy. It is argued that the Lake Tanganyika situation defies diagnosis and prescription according to conventional ‘stock assessment driven’ management thinking. The lake instead presents a compelling case for the application of multi-disciplinary management approaches, involving strong levels of community participation.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1003712708969
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