Need, Drivers and Context Elements Assessment

Assumption:

I am assuming that other fishing sites, villages and marketplaces in Burundi, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo face the same challenges and threats. Given this, the opportunity to improve the relationship between communities and lake is the same that in the case of the Zambian fishing communities and marketplaces, on which this exercise, its analysis, community research and reflections are based.

I appreciate that in order to scale an effective solution, further research and empirical evidence will be needed to assess its feasibility in different settings.

Needs: 

• There is a main long-term need to safeguard and educate the communities that depend on the resources provided by the Lake Tanganyika. The beneficiaries are an estimated population of 10 million people in Zambia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. They live along the shores and proximity areas of the lake. This includes 100000 fishermen who fish from an estimated 800 fishing sites. 
• There is also a need to improve accessibility of fishermen to markets
• A third need is to improve access to market information for fishermen, buyers, sellers and regulatory bodies. 

Main drivers: 

1. Lack of alternative resources - fishing is one of the very few resources available along the lake's shores. Depleting fish reserves are negatively correlated with the fishermen's livelihoods and the well-being of the lake communities.
2. Unsustainable fishing practices - not respecting reproduction cycles, use of non-regulated nets (including malaria prevention bed nets) etc are positively correlated with depleting fish reserves and fishermen's livelihoods and the communities well-being.
3. High competition among fishermen - in the short term, fishermen have an incentive to use unsustainable fishing practices as this presents itself as a source of competitive advantage over those who adhere to ethical practices. This has a roll-down effect on all fishermen using them in order to preserve their livelihoods. In the long run, the nature of this sort of competition is not sustainable and is a threat to the fishing activity as a whole.
4. Remote geographical location and fragmentation of fish supplies - Most of the fishing villages/sites analysed are remotely dispersed. Access to the physical fish markets is cumbersome and expensive, especially when fishermen operate individually or in teams of three or four.
5. Inefficient access to environmental, industry and market information

Larger context:

1. The Lake Tanganyika has shores in 4 different countries Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo. Uncoordinated efforts in an already very fragmented economic activity represents a big challenge. 
2. Large-scale commercial fishing has disappeared as fish reserves have been diminishing. This is positive for smaller fishing operations, although it is a strong signal that depleting reserves must be reversed for the survival of the smaller/craft fishing operations and communities well-being 
3. Environmental experts claim that one of the reasons fish reserves are decreasing is the raising waters temperature that affect the reproduction cycles of main of the fish species. 

Additional resources

• Conservation program in Tanzania
• Traders and Fishermen refuse to pay govt fees in Mpulungu
• Zambia Lake Tanganyika Fishing Industry Adrift
• Lake Tanganyika Sustainable Management Project
• Old examples of finance available to foster fishing communities in production, processing  and marketing
• UN's FAO. Fishing Management Plan