An interdisciplinary method to harmonise ecology, economy and co-management: fisheries exploitation in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda

Abstract

Collective action theory predicts that natural resource management at a local level has a higher probability of success if territoriality and jurisdiction of the managerial institution are in synchrony with mobility and territoriality of the resource and exploitation patterns of local users. In several East African lakes local managerial institutions (beach management units) have been created to devolve key responsibilities from government level to community level; however, a major challenge has been quantifying the territorial jurisdiction (spatial pattern of use within the lake) of the resource (fish) and resource users (fishers). This study introduces an interdisciplinary method combining anthropology and ecology in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda to: (1) create a map outlining social landmarks and ecological characteristics of the lake, (2) assess the distribution of important fished species, (3) quantify the spatial distribution of fishing effort of local fishers, and (4) quantify the composition of the fish catch. Results demonstrate spatial structure at all levels (social and ecological) of the fishery in Lake Nabugabo. We argue that the interdisciplinary method applied to Lake Nabugabo is practical and achievable in its application, and may be used more broadly to evaluate territorial jurisdiction of fishers and their resource.