The small-scale fisheries sector in a developing country: assessing SWOT and recommendations for sustainability in Namibe (Angola)

Abstract

Fishing activity has great socioeconomic importance and can be used as a tool to combat hunger and poverty, especially when considering developing countries. However, most of the fisheries’ catch in these places is still unrecorded. Namibe Province, located at the South Angolan Littoral, has a 450-km-long seafront, with several communities historically relying on fishing activity. In this context, the present study sought to gather available data about fisheries exploration in Namibe, apply a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, and use semi-structured questionnaires to assess the status of fishing activity in the region. We acquired a 3-year catch series from the Gabinete Provincial das Pescas (Provincial Fisheries Office) and interviewed 329 actors involved in the activity. We also present a sector diagnosis where we report information regarding the main landed species and their seasonality, the most commonly used fishing gear, and a characterization of the fisheries market chain. Results show an urgent need for fisheries monitoring programs to produce data that can be used in robust sustainable management policies in the region. We also report on the professionals’ perceptions of the stock declines, which are mainly associated with illegal international fishing. Finally, this study provides valuable data about Namibe’s regional fisheries sector and discusses possible alternatives to address the problems faced by developing public policies based on scientific data.