Livelihoods

The Chambo (Oreochromis karongae, O. squamipinnis and O. lidole) fisheries are essential to the food security of the majority of Malawians and a lifeline for rural and urban economies. The chambo fisheries, however, have collapsed and urgent restoration is required. Successful restoration of the important chambo fisheries demands a careful analysis of the problem and formulation of a strategic plan to implement relevant activities that will result in effective interventions in the fisheries.

There are over 1 300 species of cyprinids in Asia, which form an important part of the world’s aquatic biodiversity. Aquaculture and capture fisheries involving cyprinids are a vital part of the livelihoods of many millions of people in this region. The production of carps from aquaculture in Asia constitutes over half of world finfish aquaculture production. Further growth in human populations will increase the demand for carps as food, but may also threaten wild populations.

In Asia, the fisheries sector is important in terms of food security, livelihoods and foreign exchange earnings. However, as in many parts of the world, there are signs that capture fisheries are fully exploited or overfished. Management of fisheries in the region is often hampered by lack of information on the status of fisheries in terms of biological, social, economic, policy and governance aspects. This regional project documents an alarming decline on coastal fishery resources, based on historic research surveys in South and Southeast Asia.

ADB is a steadfast partner of the WorldFish Center, having invested since 1987 more than US$7.6 million in WorldFish projects. Like ADB, WorldFish organizes its work regionally, maintaining an office for South Asia in Dhaka, Bangladesh; the Pacific in Noumea, New Caledonia; and the Greater Mekong Subregion in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. WorldFish combines East and Southeast Asia — two separate desks at ADB — under its headquarters in Penang and a Philippine country office in Los Baños. Additional country offices are planned for Indonesia and China.

The last three decades have witnessed dramatic changes in the supply of and demand for fish. Global demand for fish has risen rapidly with rising populations and increasing per capita fish consumption. The rise in demand has been met by a rapid growth in production and increased global trade. The fastest growing component is aquaculture, whereas capture fisheries have remained generally stagnant. Asia is the leading contributor to this expansion, accounting for over 63% of total fish production and as much as 90% of all aquaculture output.

This study presents a gendered case study of landless and low-income dwellers in a coastal community whose lives depend not only on fishing but a variety of income-generating activities. It looks into the possibilities of how a group of people living in a coastal environment does not necessarily have to depend on fishing as the only source of living. It also examines the gender division of labor manifested in household, income-generating and community activities.

China is a large and rapidly developing country. Fisheries and aquaculture have been prominent sectors in the contribution to GDP and the provision of food security, export revenue, and livelihoods for the poor. The rapid development has come at some cost to the environment and the sustainability of natural resources. Levels of marine fisheries catches are stagnant. Some of the rivers and major lakes are polluted and the restoration of the productivity of these lakes is of key concern.

A forward-looking community service organization (CSO) in Cameroon dedicated to sustainable development and environmental protection, Organisation pour l’Environnement et le Developpement Durable (OPED), has enlisted the help of the WorldFish Center and other partners in the public and private sectors to replace a shady trade in ornamental fish with an innovative and sustainable livelihood option for the 8 million people who live in the riverine ecosystems of the Lower Guinean rainforest.

The ornamental fish trade has great scope for development. At present it is dominated by a small number of middle-men with little focus on sustainability or careful management of fish. This “Lessons Learned” document outlines how commercially sound and environmentally sustainable trade in non-timber forest products is a viable means of conserving rainforest ecosystems and sustaining traditional livelihoods.