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Artisanal fishing programme in Angola |
By Agostinho Duarte, Institute for Development of Artisanal Fishing and Aquaculture (IPA)
 Angola reached peace in 2002 and in 2003 the Government established the Artisanal Fishing Reactivation Programme for the Fisheries Sector, both for sea and inland fisheries. This programme was structured for a phased implementation, each phase with different scenarios.
The programme fits within the Angolan Government’s Global Programme to combat hunger and alleviate poverty. Long term sustainability can be reached by using and developing marine and inland resources in a manner that ensures equilibrium between different development needs, reduces poverty and protects these natural resources through effective management. In this article we present the results obtained during implementation of the various phases of the programme, as well as outline the main recommendations identified during execution.
Objectives
- To promote cooperatives in fishing communities in order to develop artisanal fishing;
- To promote and strengthen the conditions for stability and social well being of fishers, and to reduce their vulnerability during fishing activities.
- To study the fishers’ perceptions in relation to livelihoods and work opportunities connected to the valuable marine and inland resources, as well as the problems they are faced with in their efforts to ensure sustainable food security and livelihoods.
- To develop alternatives of employment, food production and wealth creation that benefit the populations, with special emphasis to those concentrating on coastal and inland zones.
Methods
In phase I: Analysis of fishing communities in the entire country based on interviews and questionnaires, and accompanied by consultation of available references relating to the fishing practised in each community, region and province.
In phase II: Meetings with fishing communities on their organisation into artisanal fishing cooperatives. The open nature of these meetings has allowed discussions on several other issues raised by participants regarding their participation in the associative/ cooperative movement.
In phase III: Technical and material support, based on the need for technical knowledge and fishing materials that was noted during the analysis.
In phase IV: Training, capacity building and monitoring with regards to all information resulting from the implementation of the previous phases.
Results
Artisanal fishers are dependent on marine and inland resources as their main source of food and livelihood. While fish is the basis for household food consumption, the sale of surplus fish ensures their main source of income for acquisition of other goods that are essential for their wellbeing.
- The analysis that was undertaken gave an insight into the communities and the fishers involved in artisanal fishing, their needs, way of life and difficulties. There are 188 fishing communities along the Angolan coast and more than 5,000 inland, and it is estimated that 230,000 to 250,000 people (including those employed in fishing companies but excluding those working in fish distribution and retail) participate in artisanal fishing activities. The fishing methods and equipment utilised by fishers include hand lines, beach seine, gillnets of various types and traps, and the boats used are chatas (planked boats), catrongas (whale boat types) and canoes.
- The civil war after independence led to considerable population movement, with many people migrating to coastal zones, which were safer, and where artisanal fishing constituted a means of work and survival and played a critical role in ensuring food security and livelihoods in coastal communities. The locations visited reported an increase in the number of participants in artisanal fishing with the advent of peace.
- The promotion of artisanal fishing cooperatives is allowing greater awareness raising of fishers, easier distribution of fishing equipment, and better management of fishing resources.
- The organisation of fishers and the support in terms of boats and other fishing material have led to an increase in marine fishing catches to a total of 100,000 tons and in inland fishing to about 24,000 tons. There has also been an improvement in the fishers’ level of safety, who can today fish further out in the sea.
- The women play a dominant role in post-catch activities such as the processing and selling of fish.
- The fishers were very satisfied with this programme’s implementation, particularly with the new fishing equipment, which has enabled them to achieve higher yields by increasing the fishing effort and optimising the production levels through improved infrastructure and opportunities for diversification.
- Many fishers are not identified, i.e., do not have an Identify Card, as a consequence of the war; and this has been hampering the legal registration of many cooperatives.
- In general, and notwithstanding the difficulties encountered in the creation and registration of cooperatives, these have played a very positive role in increasing access to credit and equipment, as well as in improving land based infrastructure.
- With the new Fishing and Aquaculture Plan 2006/2010 (POPES) for Angola, which considers fishing as a sector that will contribute to social and economic national development through poverty alleviation and better food security and job opportunities, it will be possible to overcome many of the problems the artisanal fishing communities currently face and to put into practice many of the fishers’ suggestions to improve their livelihoods—should it be implemented together with programmes in other sectors.
Recommendations with a view to a sustainable future
Considering the artisanal fishers’ high dependency on fishing resources, fish is the main source of food and employment for a large portion of the Angolan population. Due to increased pressure on these resources, it is essential that an inter-sectoral approach be taken to ensure the long term sustainability of these resources, as well as improved living conditions and food security for fishing populations.
- Alternative solutions for fishers’ identification should be found.
- The creation of infrastructure and essential services (e.g. water and sanitation, and facilities to clean, salt and freeze the fish) called Centres of Support to Artisanal Fishing needs to happen faster, and access to essential products such as ice, salt and fuel need to be secured to ensure better living conditions for fishers and higher productivity in the artisanal fishing sector.
- The data collection, analysis and management system established and maintained by IPA needs continuous capacity building in order to manage these systems efficiently, as well as marine resources. Systems for marine resources management need to incorporate the fishers and their knowledge of their environment.
- Research on women in the artisanal fishing sector is needed in order to gain an understanding of their role and their needs, as they play a critical role in post-catch activities.
- Better enforcement of the fishing law within the area allocated to artisanal fishing, where industrial fishing is restricted, would reduce the destruction of artisanal fishers’ equipment caused by industrial boats and would ensure a more efficient mechanism to compensate artisanal fishers for losses and damage. The community observers provided for in the law need to be equipped in order to assist the government in this task.
- Detailed research on selected coastal communities would lead to a better understanding of fish markets and trade, opportunities and obstacles for improvement, use of resources, and status of fish preservation, as well as would provide a perspective on gender so as to better inform long term resources management.
Contact:
Institute for Development of Artisanal Fishing and Aquaculture (IPA), Ministry of Fisheries of Angola
Telephone: (+244 ) 222 334112 or (+244) 222 393039
Email: ipartesanal@snet.co.ao
Website: http://www.angola-minpesca.com
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