In reviewing the information-base for the Chad Basin fisheries together with the major programmes of research which have contributed to this knowledge, it is evident that future planning for sustainable development will require the information-base to be upgraded significantly in certain key areas. Bearing in mind the fact that the fisheries are at the present time completely unregulated and that the resource-base itself is under threat from overexploitation, it is appropriate to consider how research might be prioritized to assist planners in addressing these problems.
The objective is to assist with information useful for short- to medium-term planning given the urgency of the problems and the possible benefits which might result from a rapid rejuvenation of the fisheries in the near future. In order to carry out such an exercise, it is worth re-emphasizing some of the important features of the existing information-base, identifying problem areas and reflecting on past successes and failures amongst the various research and development projects undertaken. The results of this analysis will be summarized at the end as a series of conclusions.
The information-base and research have been dominated by biological studies. Other potentially important areas such as the anthropology and socio-economics have received comparatively little attention. The importance of a broad base of information to fisheries development planning has also been emphasized in studies of other Sahel-Savanna systems including the Niger Delta fisheries, Mali4 and the Sudd fisheries, Sudan5.
In making a comparison with artisanal fisheries in Asia, Panayotou6 has also emphasized that improvements in resource productivity and in living standards can only come about if fishery-related interventions are complemented by rural development on a broader resource base (e.g. fish processing, aquaculture, farming, mining, tourism). The planning of such integrated rural development requires a range of information which Panayotou identifies should include the demographic and sociocultural characteristics of fishing communities; their occupational structure, income levels, and other indicators of well-being; the size and quality of the resource base; the productivity, cost structure, and profitability of existing (and alternative) fishing technologies; the efficiency of the marketing system; the potency of social and institutional constraints; and the potential for alternative or supplementary economic activities. Clearly these information requirements also apply to artisanal fisheries in Africa.
5 Carleton, C. (1985) The Fisheries of the Sudd. Infofish 6:24–26.
The climatic fluctuations which have occurred throughout Africa in recent years have had a significant adverse effect on the fisheries production of the Chad Basin. The unpredictable nature of these fluctuations precludes any consideration of rigid longer term planning based on our existing knowledge. However, it is hoped that with the aid of new technology, a greater understanding of climatic and environmental processes may develop and ultimately assist resource development in Africa. As mentioned above (Section 1.1.) climatologists expect to be able to predict climatic fluctations with a greater degree of accuracy in the near future. It should also be noted that dryland experts such as Professor El-Baz (Director of the Center for Remote Sensing, Boston University and President of the Arab Society for Desert Research) refutes the claims that the Sahel-Savanna regions are experiencing a terminal decline in climatic conditions7. Rather the drought periods of recent years are part of cyclical climatic fluctuations which have always affected resource exploitation patterns in the region.
The fish stocks of the Chad Basin are characterized by a high degree of dynamic complexity, and it is recognised that as with many exploited tropical multi-species stocks, the potential for modelling their population dynamics and expected yield is extremely limited. Future attempts at modelling would require the collection of a considerable quantity of additional fundamental information. Given the complexity and associated high costs of this task, it must be given a relatively low priority for immediate planning and management needs.
It is certainly worthwhile, however, adding to the existing collection of fundamental data in existance for many Chad Basin fish species in order to further understanding of African species in general. In addition, key parameters such as species abundance and diversity, and catch rates should be monitored to maintain continuity with past and present resource surveys. In addition, such information might be used as an indication of overexploitation and environmental change. Larkin8 in a review of tropical multi-species fisheries has concluded that it is a matter of necessity to approach the question of management with less rigor and more pragmatism. He also states that under certain circumstances single-species assessments coupled with crude appreciations of species composition can provide a valuable basis for management decisions for the time being.
Given the inherent complexities of the resource dynamics and the constraints which this imposes on planning and management, it may be worthwhile examining the traditional systems of resource exploitation which existed for centuries, up until quite recently, in the Chad Basin. The exploitation patterns for fisheries are thought to have been regulated according to tribe tenure systems, and the level of catch regulated according to seasonal variations in stock level. Undoubtedly such systems incorporated much empirical information and had evolved to cope with climatic fluctuations in order to minimise the risk of food shortages or even famine. This approach is also under investigation for agriculture in Sahel-Savanna regions9. There may be some useful lessons here for the future development and management of the Sahel-Savanna fisheries resources. Scott10 is convinced of the great potential of this approach. He has depicted the peoples of this region as being developers of strategies and technologies to manage their resources. Their understanding of the environment may enable them to contribute substantially to any plans for economic and ecological recovery.
The traditional systems of resource exploitation and management once found in the Chad Basin gradually disappeared as the nature of fisheries exploitation rapidly changed. This was due, in part, to the introduction of new technology and the escalation of fishing effort associated with the establishment of a significant commercial trade in fish products. Undoubtedly, it is these local commercial and wider economic influences in the riparian countries as a whole which will have a major influence on resource exploitation in the immediate future. Fisheries planning and management in the Chad Basin must be evaluated in the wider context of regional and national economies. Up to now, very few economic studies of African fisheries have been undertaken; little is known of the economics of the Chad Basin fisheries.
7 El-Baz, F. (1990) Do people make deserts? New Scientist 13 October 1990. Pp.40–41.
10 Scott, E. (Ed) (1984) Life before the Drought. Allen and Unwin. 196pp.
The impact of the modernization of fisheries production can have a significant impact on the social and economic order of fisheries communities, as identified by such workers as Ninsin11 in his study of a Ghanaian fishing village. Here the penetration of capitalism into a pre-capitalist society resulted in a change in fisheries production methods, and lead to a degree of social disorganisation, indebtedness and poverty. A significant factor here seems to have been the incomplete penetration of capitalism in to the economy and the complications caused by the persistence of pre-development and incompatible institutional structures.
It is interesting to compare the various development initiatives which taken place in the region, and to speculate as to the reasons for their apparent success or failure. An obvious comparison can be made between fishing technology and fish processing work. The introduction of new boat designs and nylon gillnets has been achieved whereas attempts to improve fish processing methods and products has not been successful. At a basic level, the former conferred an economic advantage whereas the later did not; a major consideration pointed by Christensen12 in an examination of technology transfer to developing countries for aquaculture. Undoubtedly there are also socio-cultural reasons for this outcome. A thorough examination of these factors must in the future be seen as essential preparation for the decision to proceed with a particular development or planning strategy in order to avoid wasting resources.
In reviewing the research carried out in the Chad Basin, and bearing in mind the difficulties facing future planners and managers with limited financial resources, it is worth identifying the fact that it is posible to generate useful information about even the most complex of systems. The road traffic census established in Nigeria to monitor the fish trade (Durand, 1980) and so provide an indicator of landings is a prime example of the type of imaginative approach which might be employed again in the future.
The high cost of information production makes it imperative to achieve the most cost-effective information system feasible. Sutinen13 has identified some useful basic principles and a practical framework for determining the cost-effective set of information. This can be described in 6 steps: (1) Identify and classify all information users; (2) define the types and attributes of information required; (3) obtain users' ranking of information; (4) identify deficiencies in the information system; (5) identify the causes of these deficiencies and constraints; (6) evaluate the possibilities for improvements and rank according to cost-effectiveness. The critical step here is to obtain some idea of the ‘value’ of the information in use through the ranking method (Step 3.). Sutinen emphasizes that while less than perfect, such an approach appears to have promise for improving fisheries management information systems. There is certainly some scope for applying these methods to the situation in the Chad Basin particularly with the collection of trade statistics, which is practicable as described above by Durand (1980).
Following on from (vii), above, it is evident that research into inland fisheries in Africa as a whole has been fragmented in nature. There is a strong case for attempting to co-ordinate efforts across many countries and projects, indirectly, by promoting a rationalisation and development of study methodologies. A suitable starting point might be for experts and key workers to agree to a suitable directory of terminology within fisheries statistics. By moving research efforts towards a common approach to problems, it is hoped that common benefits through sharing of information might result.
The information-base for Chad Basin fisheries, currently dominated by biological studies, needs to be up-graded and expanded if a multi-disciplinary approach to planning and sustainable development is be employed in the future.
Climatic research which leads to an increased predictive capability for environmental fluctuations will be of benefit to the planning process when dealing with fisheries resources in highly dynamic systems.
It is important to maintain a continuous record of key parameters such as species composition, diversity and catch rates to provide an empirical basis for short-term management advice. A significant investment in time and money would be required to attempt the development of multi-species stock models for longer-term management.
In common with an approach being taken for agriculture in the Sahel, it may be worthwhile examining the indigenous traditional systems of fisheries management to identify ways in which resources were managed under dynamic, non-equilibrium conditions in the past. Key principles from these systems might be incorporated in future management schemes.
Economic research needs to be undertaken to understand the impact of such factors as commercialization and increasing demand from national markets on the exploitation of fisheries resources. Government must be better informed of the likely consequences of both regional and national economic policy on the development and regulation of fisheries. The regulation of fisheries exploitation in the Chad Basin will never be achieved by policing; economic policy is likely to more effective here if it can create income alternatives which raise the opportunity costs of fishing and fish commerce for a significant proportion of operators.
Significant efforts to introduce new techniques and technology for catching and processing fish have been variable in their outcomes. Essential socio-economic and socio-cultural research which might help explain this result is esential before further projects are planned in these areas.
It has been demonstrated that there are opportunities for the imaginative generation of useful data, particularly fisheries statistics within this fishery system. Careful attention should be paid to a range of alternatives before deciding on a particular scheme, cost-effectiveness of information is an important issue.
Although unique in their own right, the artisanal fisheries might be usefully studied in relation to other similar systems. The rationalisation and further development of appropriate study methodologies will facilitate this process.
