Factors Influencing Small-Scale Fishers’ Individual Perceived Wellbeing Satisfaction in Southern Benin

Abstract

In southern Benin, the rapid growth of demographics and the need for fishery products have forced public managers to adopt various management measures in the face of anti-ecological methods used by fishers; however, these strategies are often formulated independent from the context. These measures have not remained without consequence on the daily lives of fishers. This paper examines factors influencing fishers’ individual perceived wellbeing satisfaction using the social-ecological system framework. Data on 205 small-scale fishers’ demographic information, perception of job, and individual wellbeing satisfaction and governance subsystems were collected and analysed by the use of an ordered logistic regression. The results demonstrate that job satisfaction and ownership of water bodies (in contradiction to Ostrom’s advocation for commons management) affected fishers’ individual perceived wellbeing satisfaction. Fishers likely value ownerships, affecting their perceived wellbeing mainly in the South East. The prohibition of certain fishing gear decreases fishers’ individual perceived wellbeing, indicating their attachment to these. Therefore, the question remains as to whether or not the scenarios of eco-sustainability of artisanal fisheries can be managed in the same manner as those related urban dwellers and the public sector. This is in particular reference to the line between urban land property rights, urban dwellers and the state, and property rights on water bodies, fishers, and the state.

Drivers of Small-Scale Fishers’ Willingness to Adopt Property Rights Co-Management in the Lake Nokoué and Porto-Novo Lagoon Complex in Southeast Benin

“…The two bodies of water maintain a permanent link through the three-kilometer-long Totchè channel (Figure 1). This area was selected for the study following previous works [18,19] which demonstrated the existence of the problem of property rights on the water in these two towns.…”

“…Moreover, in these territories, access, extraction, exclusion, and alienation of property rights are inherited from endogenous legal tradition [19]. Given the lake's lifestyle, these individual property rights are used to construct dwellings on stilts.…”

“…Therefore, the perception of the water body goes beyond simple exploitation but is considered a living space and, as such, is transferable to future generations [19]. According to Sonneveld et al [22], southeast Beninese inland fishers work like entrepreneurs and invest in their techniques and tools.…”