Livelihoods of small-scale fishers along the Nile River in Sudan
The inland fisheries sector in Sudan represents an important source of livelihoods and well-being for individuals and communities, as well as a potential means to enhance food security in the country. Despite this, the populations that depend on the sector presently suffer from poverty, lack of employment, food insecurity, illiteracy, health constraints, gender inequality and poor policy protection, all resulting in living conditions that do not reach acceptable levels of human dignity. Inland fishing communities are often located in isolated and marginalized locations. Consequently, their potential is hidden and often forgotten. The immense aquatic resources provided by the Nile River could be sustainably exploited by improving the policy framework, promoting stakeholders’ participation in decision-making processes, developing appropriate infrastructure, promoting cooperation among the different actors in the value chain, implementing a fisheries management framework, strengthening local technical capacity, setting up social security systems and empowering the most marginalized groups (women, youth, the disabled, etc.). Through such actions, the resources of the Nile River could become an indispensable source of livelihoods and food security for these populations.
This study is the result of a socio-economic livelihoods and food security assessment of fisher households along the Nile River in Sudan, conducted in October 2015, the analysis of the data collected, and a National Stakeholders’ Workshop held in December 2015. The main goal of the socio-economic assessment was to better understand the dynamics of the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the livelihood situation, challenges and constraints of the small-scale fishers of the Nile, the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The assessment covered the technical, social and economic aspects of the small-scale fisheries, including: household information, technical capacity, employment, social security and gender schemes as well as post-harvest activities; the aim being to assemble data and information in order to promote the sustainable development of the sector.
The assessment showed that the inland fisheries sector is facing important challenges, such as weak value chains, lack of resource management, lack of social security systems, little diversity in income generating activities, and lack of participation of important stakeholder groups, such as women and, in some cases, the small-scale fishers themselves.