The role of community awareness and engagement towards achieving fisheries sustainability in the Namasagali community, Kamuli District

Abstract

The study was set to assess the role of community awareness and engagement towards achieving fisheries sustainability, a case of the selected landing sites of Namasagali sub-county in Kamuli district, Uganda. The study aimed at assessing the level of awareness of existing fisheries policies and management regulations by the local fishers in Namasagali community, examining the relationship between levels of community awareness and compliance with sustainable fisheries management practices and examining the relationship between the current fisheries management practices and the abundance of the fish stocks. The study used a target population of 60 respondents from three selected landing sites. Interviews were also conducted with the heads of the local fishers at the selected landing sites. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed that the local fishers were mostly aware of the gear size restrictions, followed by the fish size restrictions and the fishing license requirements respectively, while very few respondents were aware of the closed fishing season’s regulation and none of the respondents was aware of the existence of the no-fishing zones management regulation. Using chi-square tests, the results showed that the awareness of fisheries policies and management is significantly associated with the compliance to the fisheries policies and regulations (X 2 =9.38; df=3; p=0.025). The study highlighted that the major contributors to fish stock decline over time were due to use of illegal gears and over fishing. This reflected that there is positive correlation between fisheries management practices and fish stock abundance. The study then concluded that, although most of the respondents were aware of the existence of the fisheries policies and regulations, they lack a deeper understanding of the specific details, implications and procedures with in those policies. The findings suggest that the awareness strategies could be able to raise general knowledge of the fisheries policies and regulations but have not adequately communicated the specifics of the policies and regulations. The study demonstrates a significant positive correlation between the level of awareness and the level of compliance with the sustainable fisheries practices. Well-enforced measures such as gear restrictions, seasonal closures, marine protected areas (MPAs), and community-based management (BMUs) have led to notable recoveries in fish stocks, although challenges remain, particularly with illegal fishing and enforcement gaps. The study then recommends that there is a need to revise the content and methods of the awareness initiatives by considering involving the community in the design of these programs to ensure they address local needs and concerns. This could include more interactive or participatory approaches, such as workshops or community discussions that engage people more directly.