Posted: January 24th, 2023

Achieving sustainable development through capacity building

Achieving sustainable development through capacity building: the small-scale fishing community in South Africa

Sustainable development is a global goal that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. One of the key challenges of sustainable development is to balance the social, economic and environmental dimensions of human well-being. In this blog post, I will focus on how capacity building can help achieve sustainable development for the small-scale fishing community in South Africa.

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Small-scale fishers are people who fish for livelihood, food security or cultural purposes, using low-technology and low-capital methods. They are often marginalized and vulnerable to poverty, food insecurity, climate change and environmental degradation. According to WWF South Africa, there are about 30,000 small-scale fishers in South Africa, distributed across four coastal provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Northern Cape [1].

Small-scale fishers play an important role in the local economy and food system, as they provide income, employment and nutrition for themselves and their communities. They also contribute to the conservation and management of marine resources, as they have traditional knowledge and practices that respect the environment. However, small-scale fishers face many challenges that hinder their sustainable development, such as:

- Lack of recognition and representation in policy and decision-making processes
- Lack of access to markets, infrastructure, finance and technology
- Lack of skills, knowledge and information on sustainable fishing practices and business management
- Lack of social protection and safety nets
- Competition and conflict with other users of marine resources, such as commercial and recreational fishers
- Vulnerability to shocks and stresses, such as natural disasters, pandemics, pollution and overfishing

These challenges were exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, which disrupted the operations and livelihoods of small-scale fishers. A study by WWF South Africa found that small-scale fishers had difficulty adapting to the sudden changes and limitations in operations, such as reduced fishing days and hours, limited transport and mobility, reduced market demand and prices, increased operational costs and reduced income [1]. The study also found that the impacts were not equal across the coastal provinces, as some faced more devastating impacts than others.

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Capacity building is a process of enhancing the abilities of individuals, groups and organizations to achieve their goals and perform their functions effectively. Capacity building can help small-scale fishers overcome their challenges and achieve sustainable development by:

- Empowering them to participate in policy and decision-making processes that affect their rights and interests
- Enhancing their access to markets, infrastructure, finance and technology that can improve their productivity and profitability
- Providing them with skills, knowledge and information on sustainable fishing practices and business management that can improve their efficiency and quality
- Strengthening their social protection and safety nets that can reduce their vulnerability and increase their resilience
- Promoting their collaboration and cooperation with other users of marine resources that can reduce conflict and enhance co-management
- Supporting their adaptation and innovation in response to shocks and stresses that can improve their sustainability

There are many examples of capacity building initiatives that have been implemented or proposed for small-scale fishers in South Africa. For instance:

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- The Small-Scale Fisheries Policy (2012) is a legal framework that recognizes the rights of small-scale fishers and aims to provide them with equitable access to marine resources, support services and benefits [2].
- The Abalobi Fisher App is a mobile application that enables small-scale fishers to record their catch data, access market information, sell their products directly to consumers and restaurants, monitor their income and expenses, access weather forecasts and safety alerts, and communicate with other fishers [3].
- The Fish Force Academy is a training program that provides small-scale fishers with skills on fisheries compliance, law enforcement, monitoring and evaluation [4].
- The WWF Small-Scale Fisheries Project is a partnership between WWF South Africa, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) and local communities that aims to improve the governance, management and sustainability of small-scale fisheries through capacity building activities such as training workshops, mentorship programs, exchange visits, awareness campaigns and stakeholder dialogues [5].

These initiatives show that capacity building can have positive impacts on the small-scale fishing community in South Africa. However, there are still gaps and challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of capacity building efforts. Some of these include:

- The need for more coordination and collaboration among different stakeholders involved in capacity building activities
- The need for more funding and resources to support capacity building activities
- The need for more monitoring and evaluation of capacity building activities to measure their outcomes and impacts
- The need for more contextualization and customization of capacity building activities to suit the needs and preferences of different small-scale fishing communities

In conclusion, capacity building is a key strategy to achieve sustainable development for the small-scale fishing community in South Africa. Capacity building can help small-scale fishers improve their social, economic and environmental well-being, as well as their contribution to the conservation and management of marine resources. However, capacity building requires a collaborative and adaptive approach that involves multiple stakeholders, addresses multiple challenges and responds to multiple contexts.

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References:

[1] Mbatha, P. 2021. Lockdown lessons from South Africa’s fisheries: Building resilience in small-scale fishing communities. WWF South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa. Available online at http://www.wwf.org.za/report/lockdown_lessons_from_small_scale_fisheries

[2] Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). 2012. Policy for the Small-Scale Fisheries Sector in South Africa. DAFF, Pretoria, South Africa. Available online at https://www.environment.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/policy_smallscalefisheriessector.pdf

[3] Abalobi. 2021. Abalobi Fisher App. Available online at https://abalobi.info/fisher-app/

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[4] Nelson Mandela University. 2021. Fish Force Academy. Available online at https://fishforce.mandela.ac.za/

[5] WWF South Africa. 2021. WWF Small-Scale Fisheries Project. Available online at https://www.wwf.org.za/our_work/initiatives/small_scale_fisheries_project/

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