Social capital, community-based governance and resilience in an African artisanal river fishery

Abstract

This is a study of a community-based fishery on the Rovuma River that forms the border between Mozambique and Tanzania. We postulate a relationship between social capital and community-based governance over access to and the use of the fish resource. In historical times social capital was high and community-based governance regulated access to and use of the fishery as a common property resource. Transforming forces particularly colonial administration, advocating Christianity, war and an emerging market economy undermined social capital, which in turn affected community-based governance. The deconstruction of social capital has resulted in attitudes and behaviours that challenge governance processes with dire consequences for sustainable resource utilisation. Harvesting of fish stocks occurs at levels that are no longer sustainable and inappropriate practices are being adopted. While the Mozambique government policy promotes community-based fisheries management in artisanal fisheries, we argue that under current conditions of ineffective community-based governance, a strong focus on reconstruction of social capital will be required before a community-based resource management process can be effectively implemented. The findings are discussed in the context of resilience in social ecological systems. We suggest that given the historical context in which community-based natural resource management is promoted within southern Africa such a focus may have wide relevance.

Local Governance Institutions, CBNRM, and Benefit-sharing Systems in Namibian Conservancies

“…These findings suggest that heterogeneity in community based conservation (Poteete & Ostrom, 2004) do not impede benefit sharing, and sustainable local governance of natural resources, although it complicates the development of fair benefit-sharing system. But, social capital within a community has the potential to facilitate equitable benefit sharing Nkhata, Breen, & Abacar, 2009;Scanlon & Kull, 2009) if transparent benefit-sharing systems exist.…”

Assessing natural resource management through integrated environmental and social-economic accounting

“…As pointed out by Barendse, Roux, Currie, Wilson, and Fabricius (2016), one limiting external factor is the government's inadequate implementation capacity so that local governance institutions have narrow capacity to develop natural resource stewardship. This holds for wildlife as well as for fishery management (Cox, Wilson, & Pavlovich, 2016;Lewins et al, 2014;Ngwira, Kolawole, & Mbaiwa, 2013;Nkhata, Breen, & Abacar, 2009;Nunan, 2006;Sutton & Rudd, 2014).…”

Actor-Based Design of a Management System for the Elephant Marsh Fishery in Malawi

“…Therefore, counterintuitive as it may seem, the marsh-wide institution should be left internally unstructured, with village chiefs and BVC Chairs included without formal specification of their roles to give a chance for self-organization. In so doing, the institution does not force Western formats of democracy on the local system, which can continue with its own style (Nkhata, Breen, and Abacar 2009) of mixing mandates (hereditary, elected, and legal) with the power mechanisms of reputation. This leaves room, for instance, for lessons to be interpreted and transmitted from chiefs who successfully manage the power differential with their BVCs and therewith create well-managed beaches.…”