Women's role in Kaback fishing communities in Guinea
by
Nana Soumah
Popularizer
Introduction and macro-economic data
Women play a key role in the artisanal fisheries sector in Guinea and especially in Kaback island, located at 35km South-East of Conakry.
Kaback island is mainly a flooded paddy field area where fish production varies between 2500 and 6,000 tons a year. Fishermen live in three villages: Makakang, Konimodia and Khunyi.
In Kaback as in the rest of Guinea, marine artisanal fishing is more important than al fishing. The most used means are dug out canoes, canoes with ribs (motorized or not), canoes known as Senegalese type equiped with outboard engines. The fishing gears are nets, lines and longlines. Women provide the main manpower for artisanal fisheries related activities.
Woman's place in the fisheries sector in Kaback
Women are very active in the processing and marketing of fish. They engage in other activities only when they are obliged to, either because the season is bad or because they lack financial means. With the introduction of new fishing and processing techniques, more and more women are attracted by this sector where they represent 60% of the total number. Nearly all of them come from fisherfolk families, and as such fishing is considered as an activity received as a legacy.
The most dynamic women fund in advance boat building, engine repairing and provide all the necessary logistics for the fishermen's trip at sea. Thus, they participate indirectly in the production activity. However, they are directly involved in the processing and marketing of fishery products.
Smoking is the processing and preservation method which is most used in Kaback. There are four types of smokehouses depending on the quantity of fish to be smoked. The fish for family, consumption is smoked in cylindrical drums cut in two. When the fish is to be marketed, that is a large quantity, it is smoked in traditional Bandas. Presently, Kaback project is trying to improve this traditional type oven. The Chorkor, presented as the most efficient of all, is not accepted by women smokers who find that it is not well adapted for short cycle smoking. Apart from smoking, drying and salting are small scale activities.
The fresh fish caught in Kaback island is retailed, generally at the very landing site. This activity involves more women who fund in advance the production. The rule for foreign fishermen is that they must sell their fish cheaper than natives.
The smoked fish is traditionally packed in baskets before being conveyed to sales places. Care is taken to make sure that the drying degree allows a long time preservation. Fish is generally sold by dozen, rarely by basket. Only small size species are sold wholesale.
All these activities are supported by some projects which grant the credit required to buy the equipment and inputs. They are the French Association of Progress Volunteers (AFVP) for well digging, the African Development Foundation for oven building, and of course the Integrated Development Project of Fisheries in Kaback.
Incomes and their use
It is difficult estimate exactly the profits that women make trading fishery products. However, it is established that the selling prices depend not only on demand and supply, but also on the season and the quality of the bargain: fish is cheap when there is a lot (November-December) and very expensive when there is a shortage (August).
Generally, the annual profit each woman makes is estimated to be 174,600 Guinea Franc(GF). This sum is spent on family needs: food coming first (55%), then reparation or purchase of equipment (20%), child care (15%), schooling (5%), ceremonies (3%), dressing (2%). But the income is not enough to satisfy all these needs and some families accept to make important sacrifices.
Women's relationships with men in the fisheries sector in Kaback
In Kaback, almost all the women come from fisherfolk families (wives, sisters or daughters). Apart from the fact that women are not directly involved in fish catching, it is also men who decide on price fixing. Indeed, in many cases, when the fisherman comes back from the fishing trip, he discusses with his wife about the sales price. Periodically, the fisherman can give his wife a certain sum to invest in those activities. Even if it is accepted that there is a certain complementarily between man and woman in the management of family income, the woman has very little financial autonomy in the household. This dependence is due to the division of labour, customs which make of man the main production agent (he is the one who goes to sea), and as such he has the last say in the family.
Difficulties and constraints
Kaback women face many difficulties and constraints in their activities.
As the production of fishery resources varies according to seasons, the shortage periods are a real handicap. Even when the season is good, many women lack the financial means required to buy fish from fishermen They also lack the required equipment since they have already spent all their income on family needs. In addition, access to credit is difficult for untrained women who are not interested in getting together.
Other difficulties are the precariousness of traditional smoke-houses, the lack of means to preserve fresh fish, the corrupt police officers who take advantage of women's illiteracy, and the competition at the market place. As Kaback island is landlocked, excessive wood cutting for smoking is an environmental concern. Similarly, it is difficult to reach the marketing centres.
However, there are many opportunities. For instance, the improvement of processing techniques and marketing strategies could lead to Kaback woman's emancipation. Other opportunities are catering, breeding, trading and even some agricultural activities. Thus for women to really benefit from fishing activities, it is advisable to adopt an integrated approach in artisanal fisheries; to set up a supporting structure to manage women; and to organise women in order to facilitate access to credit.
Conclusion.
It is impossible for women to engage, like men, in fishery productive activities since they are compelled to do household chores. Consequently, people tend to put women on the fringe of society.
Therefore, it is important to actively involve women at every level of identification, planning, implementation and evaluation of activities. This will arouse their entrepreneurship and enable them to contribute better to their own well-being and that of their communities.
