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The neglected role of religion in fisheries management
Author(s) -
Lowe Benjamin S.,
Jacobson Susan K.,
Anold Happiness,
Mbonde Athanasio S.,
Lorenzen Kai
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
fish and fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.747
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1467-2979
pISSN - 1467-2960
DOI - 10.1111/faf.12388
Subject(s) - tanzania , fishing , fishery , sustainability , fisheries management , spirituality , perception , scale (ratio) , political science , environmental resource management , business , geography , environmental planning , economics , ecology , psychology , medicine , alternative medicine , cartography , pathology , neuroscience , biology
Religion and spirituality have long played important roles in fishery systems around the world, and yet are often neglected in modern fisheries management and research. We review current literature and analyse the major small‐scale fishery on Lake Tanganyika, Africa, to highlight how religion may mediate fishing behaviours. Our study surveyed 154 fishers across 11 landing sites in Tanzania, followed by 15 semi‐structured interviews with key informants including fishery officers and local religious leaders. We identified key connections between religious beliefs/practices and fisher perceptions, behaviour and compliance with harvest restrictions and regulations. We demonstrate that better understanding and accounting for religious dimensions is critical for engaging with fishery stakeholders more effectively and managing global fisheries more sustainably.