Mthethiswa Gladstone Ntsikwe and Godfrey Mandlenkosi Zide for sharing with the researcher information about the study; Sokhulu Mussel Committee and Coffee Bay Committee for providing information on the use of brown mussels (Perna perna) in their respective areas. Christine MacDonald from the School of Human and Social Sciences, University of Natal is thanked for providing the researcher with the necessary information about the study.
INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH
- Background infoffilation
- Study Areas
- Rationale for the study · ............................................... ............. 1 0
- Research Question
- Aim and objectives
- Overview of the study
- Research Methodology
- Methods
- Satllpling procedure
- Data recording
- Research ethics
- Limitations
It is necessary to emphasize the time frame of the study, which was allocated 4 months, i.e. Some questions involved establishing the relationship between the relevant authority and user groups.
LITERATURE REVIEW AND
Literature review
The South African government has revised some of the regulations that control the use of resources to achieve sustainability (DEAT2, 2000). The reduction of the non-human world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly deteriorating. It is difficult for rural areas to adhere to the principles of environmental justice due to the poverty factor.
For the proper and effective management of the natural resources, capacity building for the communities must be one of the. There are also several other factors that contribute to the utilization of forestry resources in Malawi. The national parks were established at the expense of the indigenous people around the areas (IUCN, 1999).
Another feature is the lack of indigenous knowledge in the management of protected areas (IUCN, 1999). In rural areas the supply system is based on affordability and the natural environment of the surroundings. The establishment of protected areas in South Africa placed restrictions on the activities of the surrounding communities.
Conceptual Framework
Prior to the promulgation of the National Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998, mussel conservation and exploitation was largely effected by centralized policies without community blessing (Hanna, 1998). Poor communities are not located in areas where development is likely to be hampered by environmental sensitivity (Wood et al., 2000). Inequality in income and resource distribution has been largely blamed for unsustainable use of resources, e.g.
The growth of the human population in South Africa is leading to unsustainable use of natural resources. Most of the literature reviewed has illustrated that the top-down approach has failed to manage and conserve natural resources effectively and efficiently. High population growth according to Wood et al. 2000) is associated with high fertility rates, especially in developing countries such as South Africa.
Local population growth is believed to directly affect the use of coastal marine resources and their degradation, therefore a strategy to conserve such resources is strongly recommended (Wood et al., 2000). Some of the key issues to be addressed by the policy objectives are: promotion of public awareness, participation and pride, community involvement and partnership improvement between the relevant authority and civil society, including looking at improving relationship between the communities and conservation agencies. Given that subsistence fishers are by definition "the poorest of the poor", they are typically historically marginalized and often live in underdeveloped areas, where in many cases they will be the targets of coastal poverty alleviation and development initiatives (Westerse et al. 1994).
Conclusion
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results
- Demographic data
- Growing of crops & vegetables
- Keeping oflivestock
- Shellfish harvesting
- Information about mussel projects
For both areas, all persons in the age group over 50 had no formal education. For Sokhulu, all age groups inclusive, when asked about their duration of stay in the area, there was a greater proportion ie. most indicated that they came from other nearby areas to get married or to get kraal places in the case of men.
In the case of Coffee Bay, 46 (92%) grow maize as a major crop, while only a small proportion 4 (8%) grow potatoes, spinach and cabbage. When asked whether clams are in decline, respondents in both areas indicated that clams have declined due to the increase in the number of people eating them. In the case of Coffee Bay, everyone seems to be aware of the clam project, but about its success they all had nothing to say because they don't see any established clams in the rocks.
In the case of Coffee Bay, was not sure how the system of co-management works and they. In the case of Koffie Bay (CBn2=4), they all said that this is the beginning of the project, the reseeded rocks are not yet ready for harvesting and no decisions have been made by the committee about mussel harvesting. When asked about co-management, they said since it is in the early stages, there is no such structure unlike at Sokhulu.
Discussion of the results
The majority of young people are in a position to find a job, while a small number of older people are associated with longevity. This then affects the consumption rate of the brown mussels (Perna perna). It is likely that having six individuals could be one of the factors contributing to the growth of the human population.
This was one of the important aspects to indicate whether the consumption of brown mussel resources is determined by the rate of crop production. Sustainable utilization of the resources can be achieved if the user groups are involved in resource management (Hara, 1996). The implicit assumption underlying the success of the Sokhu1u mussel project resulted solely from the awareness gained by the communities regarding the biology and conservation of the brown mussels.
This is also linked to the community's active involvement in the management of the brown mussel stocks on the demarcated sites along the respective coastline. The community participation in the Sokhulu mussel project is actively involved in the management of the coastal resources (i.e. brown mussels). Conducting household interviews was important to get the views and concerns of the brown mussel harvesters and users themselves.
Conclusion
Implicit in policy and legislation is the notion that civil society will need to increasingly participate in the protection and management of the use of coastal marine resources. This is in line with policy requirements for efficient and effective conservation and utilization of coastal resources. The researcher was able to verify what kind of attitude user groups have towards resource management agencies like ECNC.
It was then explicitly noted that in most cases the "so-called" negative attitude is not definitively worsened by a lack of communication between the user groups and the relevant authority. The communicative and consultative approach promoted and explored by the KZN Wildlife Services community relations section was of great benefit. This is evident from the good cooperation between the Sokhulu community and the KZN NeS as the relevant authority (Natal Witness, 2001).
Participation of user groups (communities) in resource management also requires that they have the necessary skills and information to be equal partners in decision-making. This is a key area that requires attention as there is generally poor access to information in local communities. The establishment of local management structures requires that there is capacity at the local level, both in the community and in the authority, to carry out administrative and organizational functions.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusions
The resource is preferred among other coastal resources by coastal residents of South Africa, especially along the east coast, particularly in the KZN and Transkei region of the Eastern Cape Province. According to one of the Coffee Bay HH questionnaire respondents, communities are using bladed tools or tools to harvest brown mussels (Majogozi, pers. comm., 2001). The goal of the Coffee Bay mussel project is to achieve a sound resource management plan.
This was done along with the help of management reports and minutes taken from the meetings. However, to create any active resource management, cooperation and understanding of user groups is essential. Currently there is very poor understanding of the needs and concerns of user groups by the relevant authority and vice versa.
Using the study's conceptual framework, I can say that the sustainable use of brown mussel (Perna perna) resources and the conservation of biodiversity in the East Coast Coffee Bay coastline depend on the implementation of an appropriate joint management system. Now, efforts to establish a co-management system at Coffee Bay must be supported by an understanding of the community's needs and concerns by the ECNC as the provincial relevant authority, and vice versa. In this way, a joint management approach with harvest monitoring by communities could ensure the sustainability of the resource.
Lessons
Recommendations
Follow-up studies
Management: Lessons from Lake Malombe and the Upper Shire River (Malawi) Participatory Fisheries Management Program University of the Western Cape, School of Government, Western Cape. Report prepared for the Office of the Executive Vice President and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Poverty and Inequality. Case studies on the socio-economic characteristics and lifestyles of subsistence and informal fishers in South Africa.
Subsistence and recreational mussel (Perna perna) harvesting in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Fishing mortality and. Paper presented at the Eighth Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASCP), Bloomington, Indiana USA, 31 May - 4 June 2000. This research upon completion will contribute to policy effectiveness for resource conservation and regulation. Like that.
Does the committee ever implement the decisions it makes regarding offenders? ix) What kind of power and authority do the monitors and committee members need to perform their functions as part of the co-management team. The open-ended interviews helped the researcher to address some specific issues regarding perceptions and experiences about the use and conservation of coastal marine resources.
Open-ended interview guide
Locality map of Coffee Bay
Locality map of Sokhulu
