Impacts of climate change and variability on fisheries and livelihoods of fishing comunities: a case of Mlingotini and Saadani Villages in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania

There has been increasing challenges of climate change and variability on fisheries and fisheries dependent communities in Tanzania. Rainfall, sea surface temperature and winds have been identified as major climatic factors affecting fisheries and related livelihoods in the study villages. This study aimed at assessing the impacts of climate change and variability on fisheries and community livelihoods in Bagamoyo. Two villages from Bagamoyo district, Mlingotini and Saadani, were selected and used as case studies. The study deployed both quantitative and qualitative research design and used purposive and simple random techniques to obtain respondents. Key informants interviews and questionnaires were used in the collection of data. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 16.0 and Microsoft Excel for Mann Kendall analysis. The study found that fishing communities were aware of climate change and variability and its impacts on fisheries and their livelihoods. Sea surface temperature, rainfall and winds are among the climatic parameters reported by communities affecting fisheries and the livelihoods of fishing community in the villages through reduced fish catch and the inaccessibility of the fishing ground during strong winds and waves. The study further confirmed that increased fishing efforts, use of dynamites and small mesh size nets are the non climatic factors hindering fish catch as they affect nurseries and breeding sites of fish; consequently add more stress on the affected marine resources by climate change.