Online Reporter
Johnson Siamachira-Features Correspondent
Climate change and variability has severely affected the lives and livelihoods of small-scale fishers along the shores of Lake Kariba in Mashonaland West Province.
Fishing communities in the Sanyathi basin in Kariba District almost exclusively depend on fisheries for food and livelihoods.
Although threatened by over-exploitation and habitat changes, fish populations have also been affected by climate change. Changes in climate in the last few decades have affected their livelihoods and the environment.
Local communities reported an increase in mean temperatures, a greater frequency of droughts, unpredictable timing of seasons, leading to shifts in the fishing calendar and erratic rainfall, as the major consequences of climate change.
The fishers’ perception of declining catches due to climate change concurs with ecologist Dr Mzime Ndebele-Murisa, who has concluded that since the 1990s, yields in Lake Kariba have been declining.
In addition to other factors, such as overfishing and illegal fishing, climate change interacts with and intensifies these existing challenges, exacerbating the pressure on fish stocks and the livelihoods that depend on them.
Small-scale fisheries play a significant role as a source of employment, livelihood strategy and contributes to food and nutrition security of the fishers of the Sanyathi basin.
Shifts in climatic conditions have altered the productivity and distribution of freshwater systems, negatively affecting the livelihoods of these fishery-dependent communities.
“The declining fish catches is attributed to the impact of climate change. Climate change modifies the distribution and productivity of freshwater systems, and affects fishes’ biological processes and alters food webs,’’ says Newman Songore, a researcher and fisheries biologist at the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks).
Dr Muringai
Richard Ganye, the Sanyathi fishing basin’s Gache Gache Fishermen Association secretary, says small-scale fishers in the area perceive that their monthly fish catches are declining because of changes in climate.
“Declining fish catches have direct negative impacts on our livelihood incomes and food security,’’ he says. “I used to catch 150 kilogrammes of breams in the past five years. Now, this has gone down to 60kg.’’
“We are highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change because of our high dependence on fish for income and diet. The lower incomes are also a result of low fish catches due to climate change, which affects fish productivity.”
In addition, there are fears of overfishing as many people are forced to engage in the practice for survival.
A climate change and adaptation specialist, Dr Rodney Muringai, weighs in: “Limited alternative livelihood strategies negatively affect the fishing community because of its geographical location.
“The Sanyathi fishing basin is in a wildlife safari area protected under ZimParks.’’
This means no commercial activities are allowed in the area.
Contributing to a science journal report titled; “The Impacts of Climate Change on the Livelihood and Food Security of Small-Scale Fishers in Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe,’’ Dr Muringai says farming and livestock rearing are not permitted in the areas surrounding Lake Kariba as all camps and villages fall within the wildlife safari area and national park.
“Livelihood diversification of small-scale fishers in the Sanyathi fishing basin is limited,” he says.
Livestock production is not feasible as they are prone to wildlife attacks, while crops are susceptible to crop raiding by hippos and elephants.
“The Impacts of Climate Change on the Livelihood and Food Security of Small-Scale Fishers in Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe,’’ study findings by Dr Muringai and his team show that fisheries play a significant role in supporting livelihoods and food security through contributions to small-scale fishers’ diets and income.
However, the study findings reveal that the effects of climate variability and change continue to threaten the livelihoods and food security of small-scale fishers in the Sanyathi fishing basin.
The study corroborates with other independent researchers, who have concluded that households and individuals along the shores of Lake Kariba largely depend on fisheries as the main livelihood and income source.
As a result, the fishers cannot diversify their economic and livelihood practices.
For example, such challenges include inadequate capital assets, lack of credit facilities to provide capital to diversify livelihoods, lack of access to inputs (fishing equipment), and inadequate policies to support and enhance fishery-dependent livelihoods.
Dr Muringai, who has led research teams and conducted a number of research studies on small-scale fishers and climate change in Lake Kariba, asserts that small-scale fishers are tightly linked to the ecosystem processes, which are highly climate sensitive.
“Climate change, especially changes in temperatures and rainfall, alters fishes’ productivity processes, fish habitats, rate of growth, distribution, reproduction and fish catches,” he says.
Small-scale fishers’ monthly fish catches are also declining because of changes in climate and income trends.
In the Sanyathi fishing basin, fish produce is either sold for income or household consumption. Declining incomes, because of low fish catches caused by climate change, negatively affect household incomes, which determine food access.
Tichaona Manzungu, Gache Gache Fishermen Association chairperson, shares that his enterprise has been affected by the declining fish catches as a result of climate change.
“I used to get US$50 daily, which has gone down to US$15 due to low fish catches,” he says.
The fishers’ household food security is worsened due to inadequate income to enable them to purchase enough nutritious food to diversify their diet.
Lack of income, limited access to grocery stores and unavailability of various foods are significant causes of household food insecurity in the area.
“The impacts of climate change have become more apparent along the shores of Lake Kariba, particularly in the Sanyathi fishing basin through increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events,” says Henry Varandeni, environment officer for the Nyaminyami Rural District Council, the local authority overseeing the Sanyathi fishing basin.
“For our fishers to be productive and ensure food and income security, we need to build resilience to help them mitigate against climate change,” he observes.
“Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that fishing is the primary livelihood in the Sanyathi fishing basin, and research indicates that fisheries are highly susceptible to the effects of climate change,’’ says Dr Muringai.
He advises: “Our study’s results suggest that policymakers should concentrate on enhancing alternative livelihood strategies for the fishing communities to spread the uncertainties of the risk and counter the uncertainty of income from fishing and unpredictable fluctuation of fish stocks, in addition to developing interventions that will have a minimal impact on the fishing industry.”
Despite new efforts to address the effects of climate change on agriculture (crops, livestock and forestry), more research is needed to identify potential mitigation and adaptation measures of small-scale fishers in the Sanyathi fishing basin, Dr Muringai adds. – New Ziana.
