Co-management of small-scale fishery in the Tonle Sap Lake,Cambodia

In Cambodia,fishery co-management is an important process to transfer authority and ownership to the communities along the Tonle Sap Lake to manage fishery.This paper aims to determine why the co-management of small-scale fishery has not been implemented satisfactorily in the Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia.The research was primarily based on a household survey among 404 house-holds for quantitative data,equally divided between the Cham(202 households)and Khmer(202 households).Participatory process was also applied to collect qualitative data from key stake-holders.We found that limited interaction among the involved stakeholders,i.e.,unequal distribution of authority and resources co-management,has impeded implementation.The engagement of fisherfolk was influenced by dependence on fishery,law enforcement,and events organized by the communities.While the Khmer had better opportunities to participate in planning at the provincial and district levels,the Cham were only engaged in local development activities initiated by their people.However,the latter evinced a higher rate of satisfaction due to their access tofishery resources and to a large quantity of fishing gear.In the future,efforts should be made to:(1)improve resource and authority sharing among all key stakeholders;(2)urgently resolve issues pertinent to capacity building,insufficient budgets for commune councils(CoCs)and community fishery(CFi);and(3)urge law enforcement regarding illegal fishing.

Conflict Resolution and Management between Local Fishers and Tour Operators in the Okavango Delta’s Panhandle, Botswana

Conflicts among different fisher groups are a global concern, and the Okavango Delta fishery is no exception, which is composed of commercial, subsistence and recreational fishers. Possibly due to conflicting value/use systems, and ill-defined user rights, there have been documented cases of conflict between commercial and recreational fishers, which may affect livelihoods for local fishers. Therefore, this study’s aim was to identify causes of conflict between these groups and to propose management inventions. Primary data collected in three fishing villages showed that lack of access, misconceptions about each other, and overlapping use were identified as some of the major causes of conflict. Subsequently, this paper proposes a spatial and temporal zoning of fishing grounds as a management tool towards conflict resolution. One proposal is that recreational fishers can utilize the main channel, commercial fishers the floodplains and lagoons, while basket fishers can utilize the fringes of floodplains, lagoons and river channel. Moreover, a co-management regime has also been developed in the fishery, upon which a code of conduct was developed to also reduce conflict in the fishery. It is envisaged that this approach will reduce conflict and create an enabling environment for efficient and sustainable fish utilization in the Delta.