case study from the southern Cape linefishery 2: Considering one’s options when the fish leave

Abstract

Fishers in the small-scale, commercial linefishery in the southern Cape, South Africa, are exposed to variability and change in the marine social-ecological system of which they are a part. Faced with multi-scalar changes within this complex system, fishers employ a wide range of strategies in reaction to change. As part of a broader study of stressors that bring about change in these systems, this contribution examines the fishers’ responses to these changes and is based on a participant-led, semi-structured interview process of skippers/boat owners, crew, processors and spouses/partners, in six communities in the southern Cape region, and has been supplemented with appropriate secondary data. The results are discussed using a resilience framework. The data were initially considered thematically by stressor, but results identified that a place-based analysis was equally important. Three major groupings were identified: (1) fishers who adapt and show clear business-orientation, (2) fishers who cope, and (3) fishers who react and are thus caught in a poverty trap. In addition to place-specific history, local feedback loops and indirect effects need to be better accounted for to understand these responses to change at various scales. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the basis of scenario planning in the region.

case study from the southern Cape linefishery 1: The difficulty of fishing in a changing world

“…It is important to note that the intention is for the community allocation to fall within the laid down total applied effort of the linefishery to avoid an increase in overall catch effort. Whether this aim will be successful remains unclear and communities may need to consider alternative livelihood activities to ensure sustainability (see Gammage et al 8 )…”

“…Although it was not within the scope of this study to investigate all these linkages and interactions, the examples of multistressor interactions highlighted are an indication that the interactions found and described by Bennett et al 56 also exist in the South African context. Strategies put in place in response to stressors discussed here are further examined in Part 2, Gammage et al 8…”

“…In conjunction, we provide analyses and discussion of the current strategies employed by fishers in reaction to change caused by these stressors in a paired paper. 8 Recent research has illustrated that stressors that give rise to fishers' vulnerability to change commonly encompass a wide range of factors that include micro-and macro-level changes to social and environmental systems. 9,10 Studies of stressors highlight situational and contextual factors and their relative importance in the configuration of the local social developmental context.…”

“…10 Whilst vulnerability has been defined in numerous ways by various authors, 7,[11][12][13] studies carried out in the African context emphasise the need to capture the changing nature of risks. 8,10 Southern African studies 11,[14][15][16][17] have shown that there are clear risks posed to individuals, households and communities that are unable to cope with multiple stressors, let alone adapt to them. Interactions between stressors may have unexpected outcomes for both human well-being and livelihoods with serious implications for efforts to reduce vulnerability of resource users.…”

An analysis of high‐resolution modelled wave heights along the South African south coast suggests recent deterioration of sea state

“…One might advocate that larger vessels should thus be allowed in the handline fishery in the future, such as the deck boats already employed in Mossel Bay (Duggan, 2018; Gammage, 2015). As Gammage et al (2017b) point out, such adaptations are costly and, in view of a limited resource base, do not necessarily pay off (Duggan et al, 2020).…”