Fishery information available in the Eastern/Central/Southern region lead to the following management measures:
For effective fisheries management and enforcement it is very essential that there should be a strong political commitment on the part of Governments to fisheries management and that this commitment is supported by appropriate legislation and adequate technical and financial resources.
In formulating fisheries policies and management plans the Governments of the region should pay special attention to ensure that the related management measures are enforceable in practice, reasonable to the fishermen and cost-effective in implementation. The latter could in some instances be facilitated by measures, such as checking of fishing gear and catches on land or in port, which avoid costly enforcement on the lake.
It is also essential that fishermen as well as other individuals who are directly or indirectly associated with the implementation of fisheries managements measures (such as politicians at the national or local level, enforcement personnel, fisheries extension staff and the community at large) are made aware of the management rationale and the potential social and economic benefits to the country or countries jointly exploiting the resource.
To ensure effective fisheries management in widely scattered small-scale fisheries where direct enforcement is difficult or impracticable, governments should promote self-management by fishermen through education and extension, through the recognition and preservation of traditional management practices and by supporting the creation and functioning of fishermen's organizations.
In cases where non-fisheries agencies such as defence and other law enforcement agencies are entrusted with fisheries management functions. Governments of the region should ensure that the overall responsibility for fisheries law enforcement remains vested with the fisheries authorities, who are changed with administration of fisheries legislation and management programmes. Steps should also be taken to formalize arrangements for fishermen to take a role in ensuring compliance with the rules that are intended to protect and conserve exploited stocks.
Bilateral and multilateral fisheries agreements should possibly include several codes of conduct to be adhered to by fishermen operating in foreign but adjacent fishing zones as an aid to reducing illegal fishing and conflicts between artisanal and industrial fleets of the riparian states.
Information, knowledge and sound judgement used in decision-making are or must be based on available fishery data. However, data are no more than orderly representation of facts and unless processed, interpreted and communicated effectively, they do not represent information on which to base decision for effective management.
Management entails a wide variety of activities depending on beneficiaries or users. It is essential that planning proceeds in a hierarchical way, describing information needs to meet the criteria of scope, relevance, timeliness, accuracy and precision. The development of fisheries from assessing stocks, catching, processing, distributing and marketing must be coordinated or there can be negative consequences, possibly irreversible ones, for the fish, fishermen and for key national objectives of protein supply and employment.
It must be emphasized that technical and financial aid to fishery sectors can be effective only in a participatory mode. There is a fundamental lack of understanding on part of managers the nature of participants of most African fisheries. It is hardly possible to manage for societal long-term needs when so little is known about the innate behaviour of the local fishermen. Understanding is basic to effective communication. Developing nations have still a poor record of success in convincing fishermen of the value of management measures. Knowing more of the behaviour, perceptions, and desires of the fishermen could lead, or substantially contribute, to the elimination of this major gap in communication between the managers and the fishermen.
In many artisanal fishermen exploiting African lakes and other aquatic systems, fishermen are still considered as occupying lower positions in society. Their perceived existence is in poorer terms than are other trades or professions, perhaps in part explaining their dependence on middlemen for a wide range of social support. A number of countries are developing programmes which promote fisheries as a reputable occupation and emphasize the important role fishermen play in society. This is another area of anthropological research with significant practical potential. While the role of the middleman in Africa will never be eliminated, which is suggested as desirable by some national policies, increasing the earnings of fishermen while maintaining reasonably stable consumer prices will require a fundamental change in African market infrastructures. This can only come about when small-scale fishermen reach an appropriate stage of development and self-esteem; again, a problem of effective communication between fishery managers and the fishermen.
