Development, Sustainability and Social Justice: The Elusive Balancing Act of African Fisheries Governance

The document examines the governance of African fisheries, highlighting the tension between wealth generation and the 'welfare function' of small-scale fisheries. It identifies illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing as a major threat, particularly in West Africa, and discusses the transition from centralised governance to co-management systems. While progress is noted in the use of satellite tracking and regional cooperation to combat industrial overfishing, the document emphasizes the need for sustainable, independent co-management structures to protect livelihoods and ecosystems.

• African fisheries are critical for food security and livelihoods, supporting up to 10 million people and providing the primary protein source for approximately 200 million Africans, with annual gross revenues near $5 billion.
• Illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing causes severe economic losses, with West Africa alone losing approximately $1.3 billion annually.
• Small-scale fisheries, which employ over 95% of the continent's fishers, face sustainability threats from both foreign industrial fleets and internal drivers such as population growth and the adoption of modern gear like nylon nets and longlines.
• There is a policy conflict between 'rights-based' approaches aimed at efficiency and wealth generation via quotas, and those prioritizing the 'welfare function' of fisheries as a safety net for poor and vulnerable households.
• Centralised governance has proven ineffective for small-scale fisheries due to vast coastlines and limited resources, leading to the adoption of co-management systems like 'beach management units' in Uganda and Tanzania and 'community fisheries councils' in Mozambique.
• Co-management systems are often undermined by corruption, political interference during elections, and the failure of central authorities to remit permit fees to local councils.
• Technological advancements, including satellite-based vessel-monitoring systems and initiatives like FISH-i Africa, are improving the ability of African states to protect exclusive-use zones and prosecute illegal industrial fishing.
• Climate change is negatively impacting aquatic ecosystems through ocean acidification, sea-level rise, more frequent tropical storms, and changes in ocean temperatures affecting species reproduction and distribution.

APA

Benkenstein, A. (2014). Development, Sustainability and Social Justice: The Elusive Balancing Act of African Fisheries Governance. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Policy-Note-3.pdf

Chicago

Benkenstein, Alex. Development, Sustainability and Social Justice: The Elusive Balancing Act of African Fisheries Governance. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Policy-Note-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Benkenstein |first1=Alex |title=Development, Sustainability and Social Justice: The Elusive Balancing Act of African Fisheries Governance |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=April 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Policy-Note-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{benkenstein2014development, author = {Benkenstein, Alex}, title = {{Development, Sustainability and Social Justice: The Elusive Balancing Act of African Fisheries Governance}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Policy-Note-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }