Users' attitudes toward fisheries management on Lake Zeway, Ethiopia

Abstract

A resource management system combines a set of regulatory scheme within a particular resource to achieve a management outcome. The effectiveness of these regulatory measures depends on the support gained from the resource user group and the way they themselves define their problem, their involvement in the decisionmaking process, in installing and enforcing the regulations. Through semi-structured interviews, this study investigated what resource users think about: the status of stocks and the reason for any change, fisheries management issues and measures and management in partnership on Lake Zeway fisheries. It is found out that sample respondents understand and agree the resource is in undesirable state mainly due to increasing number of fishers and/or gears beyond the capacity of the lake, use of small mesh size/fishing for juveniles and on the breeding grounds. They expect a continued pattern of decline unless some possible measures undertaken to curb the problem. Respondents are, for most part, supportive of management. Most of them understand the importance of the variables that management can manipulate and agree on some fundamental element of a common management strategy but lack incentive for compliance due to the absence of property right. Moreover, they showed motivation and willingness to share management responsibility with fisheries officials. Consolidation of the community coupled with local control of resource base access and active involvement in the management thereof, are important ingredients for achieving true success – i.e. long term sustainability – in the exploitation of the fishery resources.