Exploring the effectiveness of collaborative fisheries management (CFM) to the Coastal people’s livelihoods: an analysis of the CFM intervention in Dunda, Mlingotini and Kondo communities, Bagamoyo District

This study explores the effectiveness of Collaborative Fisheries Management (CFM) to the local people's livelihoods in coastal communities of Tanzania. It was conducted in Dunda, Mlingotini and Kondo communities which are among the Bagamoyo Coastal communities under the Collaborative Fisheries Management Area Programme. The study examined how the CFM approach has affected the lives of the local communities in particular, and other stakeholders in general as collaborators in managing the fisheries on which most people's lives depend. To accomplish the task, the study took an exploratory study design informed by a qualitative research methodology. Data generation was through In-depth Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, Observation, Community Diagnosis and Documentary Review. The findings from this study show that the CFM approach was an important intervention in curbing the depletion of the fisheries resources and hence improving productivity from the sea. In addition, the CFM approach is seen to be an important effort in devolution of power to local communities and other stakeholders in the fisheries. Through this approach the local people gained some power for governing and making decisions to protect their life-dependent resource, the fisheries. However, despite these claims, the study established that the effectiveness of CFM was short lived as it lost its potential as a valid natural resource management (NRM) intervention before it matured because of several reasons that include, lack of suppo1i specifically from the government and the power dynan1ics that produced conflicting and competitive relations among different players in the fisheries sector. Thus, CFM approach had a minor impact on improving livelihoods of people dependent on fisheries. The study concludes that although the CFM approach was well received by local communities but its effectiveness could not be realized as expected due to lack of enough support plus the complexity around power differences and for not being the original idea from the communities in question. This is because the nature of the CFM approach as a NRM intervention did not articulate well the intended function leading to its failure. It is recommended therefore, that it is important to review the nature of CFM approach and see how the fisheries policy can accommodate power issues through non-ambiguous legislations. Issues on the generic term 'community' ecosystem approach to fisheries management AFM) as a balancing ecosystem intervention need to be examined as ways to improve fisheries management and hence enhance coastal people's livelihoods.