The Contribution of Small Scale Fisheries for Rural Livelihoods: the Experiences of Fish for All Ethiopia
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Abstract
In many developing countries, small-scale inland fisheries are important to the livelihoods of the poor, contributing to both income and food security. It is characterized by complex unregulated open access fisheries, multi-species, multi-gear exploitation systems, and large numbers of fishers operating on it. The nature of poverty and its dynamics within a particular small-scale fishery is important to intervene development projects for understanding and implementing development projects on fisheries. In Ethiopia, small scale fisheries have been experienced everywhere around rivers, dams/reservoirs and lakes where the activity is mostly of traditional type. These all complexities on small scale fisheries derives Fish For All (FFA) to support the fisheries resource for nutritional and livelihood improvements to the community. The present study focuses on Lake Beseka and Fincha reservoir fishers where the catch is used both for home consumption and income generation. Assessments were conducted on the status of small scale fisheries development activity on these user groups. The result indicated that the average annual fish production level reached 6 and 32 tons for Fincha and Beseka, respectively. Fish consumption differs significantly (P<0.05) between the two user groups. Fincha fishers' group used majority of their product (57%) for home than the Beseka beneficiaries (6.7%) and hence the annual percapita fish consumption was 32 kg which is by far greater than the Ethiopian average (<1 kg). Apart from home use, the beneficiaries marketed their fish to the local community and other market places. The proportion of fish distributed to the local community and to the central market was 80:20 for Beseka and 38:62 for Fincha. The two user groups generate an average income of more than 700 thousand birr annually. The beneficiaries have improved their livelihoods and are contributing their part in the supply of quality protein.
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