Historical Perspectives and Recent Trends in the Coastal Mozambican Fishery

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Historical data describing changing social-ecological interactions in marine systems can help guide small-scale fisheries management efforts. Fisheries landings data are often the primary source for historical reconstructions of fisheries; however, we argue that reliance on data of a single type and/or from a single scale can lead to potentially misleading conclusions. For example, a narrow focus on aggregate landings statistics can mask processes and trends occurring at local scales, as well as the complex social changes that result from and precipitate marine ecosystem change. Moreover, in the case of many smallscale fisheries, landings statistics are often incomplete and/or inaccurate. We draw on case study research in Mozambique that combines national landings statistics and career history interviews with fish harvesters to generate a multi-scale historical reconstruction that describes social-ecological interactions within the coastal Mozambican fishery. At the national level, our analysis points toward trends of fishing intensification and decline in targeted species, and it highlights the significant impact of small-scale fisheries on marine stocks. At the local level, fishers are experiencing changes in fish abundance and distribution, as well as in their physical, social, and cultural environments, and have responded by increasing their fishing effort. We conclude with a discussion of the governance implications of our methodological approach and findings.

Communities and change in the anthropocene: understanding social-ecological vulnerability and planning adaptations to multiple interacting exposures

“…Moreover, sea level rise poses serious socioeconomic risk since 10 % of the world's population lives in low-elevation (\10 m) coastal zones (Nicholls et al 2007). Climate change is increasing the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events such as tropical storms, which threaten coastal infrastructure and exacerbate dangers fishers face at sea (Knutson et al 2010;Blythe et al 2013). The warming of the upper layers of the ocean is driving greater stratification of the water column, changes in ocean circulation and variable precipitation patterns, all of which will perpetuate significant change in coastal systems.…”

“…For example, migration is one of the central drivers of increased exposure to flooding as low-lying coastal areas are becoming urbanized (Adelekan 2010; Hanson et al 2011). In Kenya and Mozambique, increasing population along the coast, resulting from both local population growth and migration of people in search of economic opportunity, represents the main force exerting pressure on the coastal fishery (Mangi et al 2007;Blythe et al 2013). Brewer et al (2012) demonstrate a negative relationship between coastal population density and the diversity and function of coral reef fishes.…”

Reconstructing the History and the Effects of Mechanization in a Small-Scale Fishery of Flores, Eastern Indonesia (1917–2014)

“…Rather than a definitive baseline, reconstructions represent an initial characterization of a fishery's production (Jacquet et al, 2010;Blythe et al, 2013;Pauly and Zeller, 2014). While many of these historical projections rely on official statistics, reports, and qualitative data such as interviews and anecdotal sources (Blythe et al, 2013), longterm observational or behavioral evidence is rarely available to correct retrospective estimates in data poor fisheries (Silvestre and Pauly, 1997). Additionally, reconstructions are often based on estimations of effort that do not consider the diversity of gear and capacity that a small-scale fishery might exhibit.…”

“…Suffering from limitations in terms of the measurement of effort and in the consideration of environmental factors, proposed reconstructions are corrected with systematic observations and extensive research on site. They represent an initial attempt at characterizing the production of the fishery and its significance in terms of production that can be of value to resource managers and scholars (Jacquet et al, 2010;Blythe et al, 2013;Pauly and Zeller, 2014).…”

Conclusions: Reframing the Possibilities for Natural and Social Science Dialogue on the Economic History of Natural Resources

“…From the perspective of the national economy, this might seem sensible; however, from the perspective of impacts on the resource and on coastal communities, it clearly is not. Blythe et al (2013) make this case for Mozambique, where disregarding the small-scale fishery has led to the underestimation of total fish catches. Their study adds to the growing body of literature that shows that more than one form of knowledge is required to keep track of the complex and interlinked realities of local fisheries.…”