Report on the survey among fishers in Benin

30 May 2017. ACED has been awarded a research grant from the Food and Business Applied Research Fund of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) to implement this project. A report has been published (68 pages) on the survey among fishers around Lake Nokoué and Porto-Novo Lagoon in Benin

Despite its contribution to the livelihoods of more than 300,000 individuals, to food security and nutrition in Benin, the fishery sector receives less attention from research and policymakers compared to other agricultural sectors. A study conducted among 1,066 inland fishers (including 227 fisherwomen) provided critical information about their activities, vulnerability, resilience and water sharing rules.

The study recommends the development of a well-established platform where fishermen can timely express their needs, are actively involved in formulation of policies and receive regular feedback from the association concerning their proposals.

Furthermore, such a platform should:

• be representative for the fishers involved;
• be operational at the level of inland lakes;
• use technical, material and financial capacities to implement mechanisms for concerted action; and
• regularly and timely provide feedback to the fisher community.

It is recommended that the government releases resources and facilitates this transdisciplinary process by (re)-establishing such a platform to formalise and facilitate the contact between the fisher association, its members and other stakeholders.

Furthermore, technical and financial support is needed to develop aquaculture activities, finance capacity building initiatives, increase credit access, organise fishers’ associations to cooperatives and facilitate school attendance to fishers’ children.

Download the report.

• Version française: https://www.aced-benin.org/fr/content/que-veut-le-pecheur
• English version: https://www.aced-benin.org/en/content/what-does-fisherman-want