Perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use: The lens of artisanal fishers in Kenya
Multiple fisher groups target billfish species, each with different motivations and experiences, which can influence the effectiveness and sustainability of governance approaches. However, limited studies underscore the perceptions of billfish resource users in defining and implementing governance i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1032594/full |
| _version_ | 1798003660352913408 |
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| author | Damaris Njeri Kinyua Nelly Isigi Kadagi Sarah Ater Melckzedeck Osore Andrew Wamukota |
| author_facet | Damaris Njeri Kinyua Nelly Isigi Kadagi Sarah Ater Melckzedeck Osore Andrew Wamukota |
| author_sort | Damaris Njeri Kinyua |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Multiple fisher groups target billfish species, each with different motivations and experiences, which can influence the effectiveness and sustainability of governance approaches. However, limited studies underscore the perceptions of billfish resource users in defining and implementing governance in the Western Indian Ocean region. We conducted 211 semi-structured qualitative interviews between December 2020 and September 2021, to explore how artisanal fishers perceive the performance and sustainability of governance approaches in Kenya, with a focus on billfish. Our findings show that artisanal fishers have adequate knowledge of fishing laws and regulations, as well as governing institutions and their performance. Further, artisanal fishers had a positive attitude and support for fishing rules, managing institutions, and effectiveness of governance intervention. Specifically, the fishers rated Beach Management Units (BMUs) as highly effective in implementing fisheries rules, indicating the involvement of fishers in co-management of fisheries and tendency for governance success and sustainability. This highlights the need to strengthen and support BMUs as an effective governance tool in the co-management of fisheries. We draw attention to our first-time study of the contribution of artisanal billfish fishers to governance of shared fisheries resources. We show that involvement of resource users promotes a bottom-up approach to the co-management of billfish which compliments the current regional and national efforts that have largely focused on commercial fisheries. Our research adds to the scientific body of knowledge on the importance of perceptions in the formation of natural resource governance interventions at varying scales, especially for transboundary species in data-poor areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:11:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-04852cc7a57941b18aa5bd6e9cf8ac13 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:11:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-04852cc7a57941b18aa5bd6e9cf8ac132022-12-22T04:24:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452022-12-01910.3389/fmars.2022.10325941032594Perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use: The lens of artisanal fishers in KenyaDamaris Njeri Kinyua0Nelly Isigi Kadagi1Sarah Ater2Melckzedeck Osore3Andrew Wamukota4School of Pure and Applied Sciences, School of Environmental and Earth Sciences, Pwani University, Kilifi, KenyaWorld Wildlife Fund, Washington D.C., United StatesWangari Maathai Institute of Peace & Environmental Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaOceanography and Hydrography Department, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa, KenyaSchool of Environmental and Earth Sciences, Pwani University, Kilifi, KenyaMultiple fisher groups target billfish species, each with different motivations and experiences, which can influence the effectiveness and sustainability of governance approaches. However, limited studies underscore the perceptions of billfish resource users in defining and implementing governance in the Western Indian Ocean region. We conducted 211 semi-structured qualitative interviews between December 2020 and September 2021, to explore how artisanal fishers perceive the performance and sustainability of governance approaches in Kenya, with a focus on billfish. Our findings show that artisanal fishers have adequate knowledge of fishing laws and regulations, as well as governing institutions and their performance. Further, artisanal fishers had a positive attitude and support for fishing rules, managing institutions, and effectiveness of governance intervention. Specifically, the fishers rated Beach Management Units (BMUs) as highly effective in implementing fisheries rules, indicating the involvement of fishers in co-management of fisheries and tendency for governance success and sustainability. This highlights the need to strengthen and support BMUs as an effective governance tool in the co-management of fisheries. We draw attention to our first-time study of the contribution of artisanal billfish fishers to governance of shared fisheries resources. We show that involvement of resource users promotes a bottom-up approach to the co-management of billfish which compliments the current regional and national efforts that have largely focused on commercial fisheries. Our research adds to the scientific body of knowledge on the importance of perceptions in the formation of natural resource governance interventions at varying scales, especially for transboundary species in data-poor areas.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1032594/fullperceptionsbillfishgovernancebeach management unit (BMU)fisheriestheory of planned behavior |
| spellingShingle | Damaris Njeri Kinyua Nelly Isigi Kadagi Sarah Ater Melckzedeck Osore Andrew Wamukota Perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use: The lens of artisanal fishers in Kenya Frontiers in Marine Science perceptions billfish governance beach management unit (BMU) fisheries theory of planned behavior |
| title | Perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use: The lens of artisanal fishers in Kenya |
| title_full | Perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use: The lens of artisanal fishers in Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use: The lens of artisanal fishers in Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use: The lens of artisanal fishers in Kenya |
| title_short | Perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use: The lens of artisanal fishers in Kenya |
| title_sort | perceptions towards governance of billfish resource use the lens of artisanal fishers in kenya |
| topic | perceptions billfish governance beach management unit (BMU) fisheries theory of planned behavior |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1032594/full |
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