Modern boats in African greatlakes: Local ecological knowledge and the management of fisheries resources in Lake Victoria, Uganda.

Abstract

Abstract Traditional access to resource utilization and management in Lake Victoria is currently under attack. The customary system rules and regulations are being impaired through the adoption of conventional science, foreign technology and centralization of power. This thesis explores the place of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) among fishers on the Ugandan side of Lake Victoria. In this era, LEK is under threat from global forces especially on environment. Local fishers had for decades managed Great Lakes fisheries under customary right-based systems. Fisheries therefore are not only seen as a source of livelihood but also a way of life. However, with global connectedness and increased demand for fish and fish products especially in the foreign markets, new-comers are joining fisheries every day. This has led to the race for fish and fishing space. In Great Lakes fisheries, governments with the help of other stakeholders such as the EU and the WB have designed new institutions, ideas and technology for better management." The new approaches give priority to conventional science more than LEK. Modern Boats in African Great Lakes focuses on the implications of these new systems upon local settings. A place that was once solely for local fishers is now inflated with many new- comers both from within and overseas. What impact does that have on the people's livelihood and the environmental situation of the lake?