Institutions and Co-Management in East African Inland and Malawi Fisheries: A Critical Perspective. (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nunan, Fiona; Hara, Mafaniso; Onyango, Paul
• Is Part Of: World development. Volume 70(2015)
• Page Start: 203
• Page End: 214
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: fisheries co-management -- institutions -- Critical Institutionalism -- Lake Victoria -- Malawi; Economic history -- 1990- -- Periodicals; Economic assistance -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; 330.9
• DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.01.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-750X

Abstract

Highlights: Application of Critical Institutionalism to fisheries co-management. Institutional bricolage in the inland fisheries of East Africa and Malawi. Importance of socially-embedded institutions beyond those created for fisheries management. Such institutions affect access to benefits from fisheries and enforcement of regulations. Kinship, power, and gender relations interact with formal institutions. Summary: Institutions matter within natural resource management. While there are many examples of analyses of the nature and influence of institutions within fisheries, there are fewer examples of how institutions inform the practice and outcomes of co-management. This article reports on analysis of institutions and fisheries co-management in East African and Malawi inland fisheries informed by Critical Institutionalism. It concludes that relations between fisheries departments and local co-management structures, and between local government/traditional authorities and local co-management structures, and social, power, and gender relations within and beyond fisheries communities, particularly impact on the practice and outcomes of co-management.