Stakeholder Surveys Lake Tanganyika fisheries

The fisheries of Lake Tanganyika play an important role in food security in Central and Eastern Africa. Effective legislation, supported by local populations and resource users is needed to support sustainable management of the valuable fish stocks. Knowledge of the perceptions and an understanding of the concerns and struggles of stakeholders in the fisheries can provide policy-makers with recommendations to adapt fisheries management. We interviewed 1,019 stakeholders in one close-ended and three semi-open ended surveys. Factor analysis revealed seven clusters of opinions. Linear-mixed effects models identified common grounds and differences in opinions between groups of stakeholders about strategies in fisheries management. Stakeholders of the fisheries spoke of challenges due to weather or climate variability, a noticeable decrease in fish abundance and size, and increase in price of fish on the market. Fishermen experienced a lack of safety on the lake, from aggression and dangerous weather conditions, and hardly had access to safety gear and infrastructure. Landing site officials, state employees who monitor the beaches, mentioned capture of juveniles and declining catch-rates as the biggest threats to the fisheries. None of the groups of stakeholders attributed the problems in the fisheries to overfishing or overpopulation. We found similarities in opinions over a wide range of stakeholder groups, with many stakeholders asking for better and fair enforcement of existing legislation. State employees were more positive than the other groups towards creating more strict regulation of the fisheries. The results presented offer focus-points for policy-makers to improve management of the Lake Tanganyika fisheries.坦噶尼喀湖（Lake Tanganyika）的渔业在中非与东非的粮食安全中发挥着关键作用。要实现对这一珍贵鱼类资源的可持续管理，亟需获得当地民众与资源使用者支持的有效立法。深入了解渔业利益相关者的认知、关切与困境，可为政策制定者提供适配渔业管理的优化建议。本次研究通过1次封闭式调查与3次半开放式调查，共访谈了1019名利益相关者。因子分析（factor analysis）结果显示可归纳出7类观点集群。线性混合效应模型（linear-mixed effects models）识别出不同利益相关者群体在渔业管理策略认知上的共识与分歧。渔业利益相关者均提及多重挑战：包括天气或气候变率带来的负面影响、鱼类种群丰度与个体体型的显著下降，以及市场鱼价的持续上涨。渔民群体反映湖面安全保障缺失，面临暴力侵害与恶劣天气威胁，且几乎无法获取安全装备与相关基础设施。滩涂监管员——即负责沿岸滩涂监测的公职人员——指出，幼鱼捕捞与渔获率下降是渔业面临的最大威胁。所有利益相关者群体均未将当前渔业问题归咎于过度捕捞或人口过剩。研究发现多类利益相关者群体在诸多议题上存在观点共识，多数受访者呼吁对现有立法开展更完善且公平的执法。公职人员相较于其他群体，对推行更严格的渔业监管政策持更为积极的态度。本研究结果可为政策制定者优化坦噶尼喀湖渔业管理提供明确的着力点。