The Coastal Resources Center (CRC) of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography has been active in Malawi since 2014 with the launch of the USAID/Malawi FISH project. The CRC has been working to implement an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management to encourage conservation efforts and maintain biodiversity. Through the implementation of efficient management practices these efforts aim to mitigate the negative impacts of overfishing on fish-reliant communities. Increasing demand has resulted in rising prices, declining catches, and decreased economic and food security.
Unfortunately, this narrative of the unregulated exploitation of resources is all too common, and Malawi is no exception. Malawi’s fisheries are economically, socioeconomically, and culturally significant to its population. In the past, unsustainable fisheries practices neglected to account for the ecosystem’s interconnectedness. To combat these fisheries issues, the Restoration of Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi (REFRESH) was formed. The project’s geographic range encompasses eight natural fisheries in the lakeshore districts of Karonga, Rumphi, Likoma, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Salima, Dedza, and Mangochi. The aim of the project is to restore the natural fisheries productivity in these lakeshore districts to the benefit of Lake Malawi.
Current efforts in Malawi in association with REFRESH have gone towards advancing the progression of two exciting projects: an Ecosystems Threats and Opportunity Assessment (ETOA) and a baseline gender study. These projects are being applied in accordance with REFRESH’s goal of restoring the livelihoods in fisheries associated with lake Malawi. The objectives of the ETOA are to examine Lake Malawi’s freshwater fisheries through the lenses of biodiversity, environmental and anthropogenic threats, fisheries overexploitation, and climate change. Additionally, the assessment seeks to delineate key habitats and areas of high biodiversity within Lake Malawi, which will be set aside and protected. Next, the gender study is focused on identifying the barriers and effects of gender and youth inequity that hold women and youth back from participating in fisheries management and biodiversity-friendly livelihoods. Additionally, this initiative aims to identify intervention opportunities that have potential to increase access to and control over fisheries resources, and to identify entry points through which women and youth can be engaged.
Overall, the REFRESH project has steadily progressed since its formation and continues to improve the quality of life in fisheries communities and promote sustainable development in Lake Malawi. These current projects facilitate the progression towards the restoration of livelihoods in fisheries associated with Lake Malawi.
