Community valuation of fishery resources and its implications to fish conservation :

Abstract

This study was carried out on community valuation of fishery resource and its implication to fish conservation undertaken in Kachin landing site on Lake Kyoga. There has not been attempt taken to find out how community attached value to the fishery resource. This is assumed to have implications to conservation. The objectives of the study were to find out how communities around Kachung landing site value fishery resources to identify whether or not Lake Kyoga fish stock is under threat of extinction from community perception, to assess knowledge and participation in fish conservation and to identify best practices for fish conservation by community. Across sectional survey was carried out which involve use of questionnaires covering 40 respondents. The data collected was then analyzed using SPSS which facilitated the formation of frequency tables, pie charts, bar graph and cross tabulations. The research major findings with respect to the objectives were that estimated value by the community does not reflect the true value of the resource because the study considered only tangible use benefits, community has alternative preferred economic activities and the low of education. Findings also indicate that community is limited, to conservation method because of limited knowledge which is not an effective conservation method because it is expensive to monitor these gears, the resource are under threat of extinction and most of the respondent had positive perception on the willingness to adapt the available conservation methods. The study concludes that community valuation of the fishery resource is low due to the low levels of education and preference alternative activities this reduces chances of resource conservation for future benefits increasing government’s expenditure in ensuring good resource conservation techniques. The researcher recommends that all stakeholders should ensure proper utilization of the resource through sensitization, patrolling, and valuation of non-market benefits of the fishery resource which increase the value the community attaches to the resource thus conservation.