Diagnostic study of the Volta Basin fisheries: Part 1 overview of the fisheries resources

The Basin Focal Project for the Volta (BFP-Volta) is a research project funded by the Challenge Programme on Water and Food (CPWF). Its aim is to provide an in-depth analysis of the basin through three main thematic issues: water-poverty, water availability/use and water productivity. The overall objective of the BFP-Volta is to contribute to the main goal of the CPWF, that is, to alleviate poverty through better management of water in order to enhance agricultural productivity and environment conservation. In this context, the WorldFish Center has been commissioned to produce a series of two complementary reports focusing more specifically on the fisheries resources and the link that may exist between poverty and fisheries in the Volta basin. The present report is the first of these two documents. It should be seen as a preliminary analysis presenting a background of the fisheries resources in the Volta Basin essentially from a biological perspective. Its specific objective is to conduct a diagnostic analysis of the status of the Volta basinÆs inland fisheries, with a particular focus on the biological productivity of the various water bodies existing in the basin. Whenever possible, the diagnostic will be proposed in relation to the current exploitation rate of the fisheries resources. The analysis will include the Volta Lake, but also the other hydropower reservoirs, rivers, floodplains, and the numerous small-scale seasonal or permanent ponds that are scattered throughout the basin. Particular attention will be paid, however, to Lake Volta, reflecting the large number of fishery-dependent communities that live on its shores. The report will also concentrate on two countries within the basin: Ghana and Burkina Faso as together they cover more than 83% of the total basin surface.Fishery resources, Inland fisheries, Dams, Ghana, Voltaian Basin, Ghana, Volta L., Africa,

Diagnostic study of the Volta Basin fisheries: Part 2 Livelihoods and poverty analysis, current trends and projections

The Basin Focal Project for the Volta (BFP-Volta) is a research project funded by the Challenge Programme on Water and Food (CPWF). Its aim is to provide an in-depth analysis of issues related to water in the Volta Basin through three main thematic issues: water-poverty, water availability/use and water productivity. The overall objective of the BFP-Volta is to contribute to the main goal of the CPWF, that is, to alleviate poverty through better management of water in order to enhance agricultural productivity and environment conservation. In this context, the WorldFish Center has been commissioned by the BFP-Volta to produce a report focusing more specifically on the fisheries resources and the link that may exist between poverty and those fisheries in the Volta basin. The present document is the second part of this report. Its main objective is to conduct a socioeconomic and poverty analysis of the fishing communities living in the Volta Basin, based on an assessment of the current situation and potential future changes.Fishery resources, Inland fisheries, Dams, Ghana, Voltaian Basin, Ghana, Volta L., Africa,

From participation to governance : a critical review of the concepts of governance, co-management and participation, and their implementation in small-scale inland fisheries in developing countries

This report reviews the role, nature and mechanisms of governance in inland fisheries. We do so by reviewing first the wider issues of governance, participation and co-management in natural resource management, and then focus on small-scale fisheries, and, in particular, small-scale (artisanal) activities operated within inland (river and adjacent floodplains) areas in developing countries.Fisheries, Developing countries, Fishery management

Food security and poverty alleviation through improved valuation and governance of river fisheries in Africa

The project aims to sustain and improve the livelihoods of the rural poor who depend on fisheries for their employment, income and food security along the rivers of the Lake Chad and Zambezi basins. Its purpose is to strengthen the capacity of national and regional decision-making to develop and implement improved governance and policy mechanisms that sustain river fisheries and enhance their contribution to poverty alleviation and national food security.Fisheries, Food security, River fisheries, Africa,

Improved fisheries productivity and management in tropical reservoirs

The objective of the project was to contribute to the current research on reservoirs enhancement fisheries in tropical countries through the implementation of a series of action-research activities implemented in two small reservoirs in the Indo-Gangetic basin in India, and two very large reservoirs in Africa, the Lake Nasser (Egypt), and the Volta Lake (Ghana). Socio-institutional analyses were also conducted in these reservoirs to improve our knowledge regarding some of the main social processes that influence reservoir productivity. Overall the results of the project stress that while the natural biophysical constraints of the reservoirs are important in defining the ecological production processes, it is the socio-economic settings characterizing the community/societies around the reservoirs that eventually shape the human production enhancement possibilities.Reservoir fisheries, Inland fisheries, Sociological aspects, Socioeconomic aspects, Africa, Nasser L., Ghana, Volta L.,

Tropical river fisheries valuation: background papers to a global synthesis

This report is a compilation of five regional reviews that document the global status of tropical rivers and inland fisheries in three continents: Latin America, Africa and Asia. It explores the role of valuation methods and their contribution to policy making and river fishery management.Inland fisheries, River basin management, River fisheries, Fresh water, Central America, South America, West Africa, Central Africa, South Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, Mekong R.,

Technical guidelines for economic valuation of inland small-scale fisheries in developing countries

These ôTechnical Guidelines for Economic Valuation of Inland Small-scale Fisheries in Developing Countriesö are one of the outputs of the project on ôFood security and poverty alleviation through improved valuation and governance of river fisheries in Africaö. The guidelines draw upon research results and experience gained during the course of the project. The project was coordinated and implemented by the WorldFish Center and was carried out in cooperation with the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARs) from the participating countries: the Nigeria Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research, the Departments of Fishery of Niger, Malawi and Zambia, and the Cameroonian MinistΦre de lÆElevage, des PΩches et de lÆIndustrie Animale; and three advanced research institutes (ARIs): the Leibniz University of Hannover in Germany, the Institute for Sustainable Development and Aquatic Resources in UK, and the University of Cape Town in South Africa.Rural development, Sustainable development, Livelihoods, Economic analysis, Research, Artisanal fishing

Engaging local communities in aquatic resources research and activities: a technical manual

This document is part of a series of 5 technical manuals produced by the Challenge Program Project CP34 ôImproved fisheries productivity and management in tropical reservoirsö. The objective of this technical manual is to relay the field experience of a group of scientists who have worked extensively in small fisheries in sub-Sahara Africa and Asia and lay out a series of simple and pragmatic pointers on how to establish and run initiatives for community catch assessment. The manual relies in particular on practical experience gained implementing Project 34 of the Challenge Programme on Water and Food: Improved Fisheries Productivity and Management in Tropical Reservoirs.Research, Fishery data