165
9 Poverty in Lake Victorian Fisheries – Understanding Governability
In Tanzania fi sheries, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, the
district councils, non-governmental organizations like Lake Nyanza Environment
and Sanitation Organization (LANESO), East African Communities Organization
for Management of Lake Victoria Resources (ECOVIC), and Environment
Management and Economic Development Organization (EMEDO), among others,
focus on income poverty and improving infrastructure and access to services. There
are some non-governmental organizations, namely Tanzania Home Economics
Association (TAHEA) and Foundation for Initiative for Community Assistance
(FINCA), that extend credit facilities to fi shers. Others, like LANESO, are simply
involved in activities that target the rehabilitation of the Lake for the bene fi t of the
poor fi shers.
The LVFO consists of the Fisheries Division, Department and Commission, as
well as the Fisheries Research Institutes (Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute
TAFIRI, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute KEMFRI, and National
Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NAFIRRI)) (See Fig. 9.2 ). Other partners
include: the Beach Management Units, which have been established across the
entire Lake; the private sector, consisting mainly of the Fish Processing
Establishments; and the riparian district councils. District Councils are government
administrative structures at a district level. In Tanzania, government activities are
decentralized to districts and further to villages. Each of these two levels house fullfl edged district and village governments, respectively. At the district level, there is
an executive council, consisting of the District Commissioner, District Administrative
Secretary and other of fi cers, and a legislative council, comprised of elected councilors. The District Council coordinates both central government activities as well as
their own activities. The district is made up of several divisions, which are subdivided into villages, the smallest administrative denomination.
The LVFO’s many committees and working groups (Fig. 9.2 ) make the governance
system increasingly complex from a poverty governance perspective. In fact, it could
be argued that the governing system, in all its dimensions, poses a governability
problem in itself, particularly with regard to the need for coordination and concerted
action. As if these governance levels are not already enough, fi shers have also been
incorporated into the governing system through their Beach Management Units. At
each of these governance levels poverty is understood differently. There is generally
no agreement in terms of what poverty means and how it should be addressed.
Moreover, among the parties involved in poverty alleviation, there is great appeal
for the use of strategies that have been used elsewhere and reports have indicated
some success in addressing poverty. The extension of credit facilities to fi shers,
especially women, which has been practiced in Asia, is an example of one such
strategy that has gained popular support (Sethuraman 1998 ) . Credit in the form of
cash or fi shing gear and boats has played an important role in the Lake’s fi shery
attempts to confront poverty. As people utilize the loan, most of the incomes are
used to service the loan and not improve their livelihoods. By the time they have
settled their debt, the gear can no longer be used to generate incomes and they are
therefore left, more or less, in the same state as before. Where improvements in living
conditions are experienced, these are largely minimal.
9 Poverty in Lake Victorian Fisheries – Understanding Governability
In Tanzania fi sheries, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, the
district councils, non-governmental organizations like Lake Nyanza Environment
and Sanitation Organization (LANESO), East African Communities Organization
for Management of Lake Victoria Resources (ECOVIC), and Environment
Management and Economic Development Organization (EMEDO), among others,
focus on income poverty and improving infrastructure and access to services. There
are some non-governmental organizations, namely Tanzania Home Economics
Association (TAHEA) and Foundation for Initiative for Community Assistance
(FINCA), that extend credit facilities to fi shers. Others, like LANESO, are simply
involved in activities that target the rehabilitation of the Lake for the bene fi t of the
poor fi shers.
The LVFO consists of the Fisheries Division, Department and Commission, as
well as the Fisheries Research Institutes (Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute
TAFIRI, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute KEMFRI, and National
Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NAFIRRI)) (See Fig. 9.2 ). Other partners
include: the Beach Management Units, which have been established across the
entire Lake; the private sector, consisting mainly of the Fish Processing
Establishments; and the riparian district councils. District Councils are government
administrative structures at a district level. In Tanzania, government activities are
decentralized to districts and further to villages. Each of these two levels house fullfl edged district and village governments, respectively. At the district level, there is
an executive council, consisting of the District Commissioner, District Administrative
Secretary and other of fi cers, and a legislative council, comprised of elected councilors. The District Council coordinates both central government activities as well as
their own activities. The district is made up of several divisions, which are subdivided into villages, the smallest administrative denomination.
The LVFO’s many committees and working groups (Fig. 9.2 ) make the governance
system increasingly complex from a poverty governance perspective. In fact, it could
be argued that the governing system, in all its dimensions, poses a governability
problem in itself, particularly with regard to the need for coordination and concerted
action. As if these governance levels are not already enough, fi shers have also been
incorporated into the governing system through their Beach Management Units. At
each of these governance levels poverty is understood differently. There is generally
no agreement in terms of what poverty means and how it should be addressed.
Moreover, among the parties involved in poverty alleviation, there is great appeal
for the use of strategies that have been used elsewhere and reports have indicated
some success in addressing poverty. The extension of credit facilities to fi shers,
especially women, which has been practiced in Asia, is an example of one such
strategy that has gained popular support (Sethuraman 1998 ) . Credit in the form of
cash or fi shing gear and boats has played an important role in the Lake’s fi shery
attempts to confront poverty. As people utilize the loan, most of the incomes are
used to service the loan and not improve their livelihoods. By the time they have
settled their debt, the gear can no longer be used to generate incomes and they are
therefore left, more or less, in the same state as before. Where improvements in living
conditions are experienced, these are largely minimal.