1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Mission visited Lesotho from 4 to 7 May. It met with the FAOR a.i., the representative of the Permanent Secretary of MOA, the representative of the Director of Economics and Planning, the representative of the Director of Livestock Services, the Chief and staff of the Fisheries Unit, and the representative of the Central Planning and ALCOM staff.
ALCOM's activities all relate to small water bodies, executed in the lowlands of Lesotho. The Mission inspected the Rakolo, Nyene, Leshoele, and Maqalika dams and engaged in discussions concerning fisheries management, with chiefs, elders and members of the communities adjacent to the dams. The Mission also paid a courtesy visit to the representative of the District Officer in Leribe.
1.1. THE ALCOM AND SUBPROJECT CONCEPT
During the Mission's discussions with the national authorities, it became clear that ALCOM was perceived of as an investment project; rather than a provider of technical assistance to establish a national small water body management. As is well known, ALCOM, in collaboration with the local authorities, and based on selected cases, elaborates a methodology for the management of small water bodies. This method, once tested, will be used nationally, financed either by the national budget or other donors' funds.
The execution of the current subproject started in 1992 and was expected to last 2 years. The rational for the subproject is that Lesotho has more than 400 reservoirs distributed throughout the country, that their fish stocks are unknown, and that fishing gear should be improved since the Basotho are not traditionally fishers. Because at present only hook-and-line are the only legally acceptable fishing gear, legislation requires adjustment. This justification is sound and relevant.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
The overall pilot project objective is to increase fish production from existing small reservoirs to benefit local communities.
The immediate objective are:
2.1 a stock assessment and fishing monitoring method adapted to small reservoirs in Lesotho;
2.2 fishery development and management options for each size class of reservoir; and
2.3 stimulation of small-scale entrepreneurs to exploit small reservoir fisheries through fisheries enhancements and introduction of improved gear.
3.0 ACTIVITIES
3.1 Test, adapt and demonstrate a stock assessment method for small reservoirs based on the Drottningholm method (multi-mesh gill nets) and a review of secondary data on local fishes and fisheries management. The method will be adapted to provide information on species composition and relative densities, complemented by estimates of productivity based on limnological parameters;
3.2 Survey fishing effort, methods and yields, and determine socio-economic the characteristics of reservoir communities. This information will be used to determine the feasibility of gear improvements and other enhancements to increase fish yield;
3.3 Test of improved fishing gear. Existing fishing gear will be catalogued and possible improvements will be identified and tested on selected reservoirs, concentrating on hook-and-line and nets. (Potential fisheries enhancement from 3.1 and 3.2 above);
3.4 Develop and implement on a pilot scale restricted access fisheries exploitation on one selected large reservoir;
3.5 Develop and implement on a pilot scale open access fisheries management on three selected medium and large reservoirs.
3.6 Develop and implement on a pilot scale concessional fisheries enterprises on six selected small reservoirs;
3.7 Training of small-scale entrepreneurs in business management and fishing techniques; and
3.8 Investigate the potential for reservoir fisheries products for sale ........ local and export markets.
4.0 PILOT RESERVOIRS
The following reservoirs, and areas with reservoirs, will be considered for pilot project activities:
5.0 REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES
The activities proposed in the sub-project document are logical and their execution should produce a management methodology from the technical stand-point. The development of a suitable stock assessment method (i.e. species composition, relative abundance, productivity estimates) and the execution of a preliminary socio-economic study of the communities surrounding the reservoirs (activities 3.1 and 3.2) establishes a foundation for a technical management methodology. The execution of tests with improved fishing gear (activity 3.3) is the final input to propose some technical options of management (activities 3.4 to 3.7). A marketing study (activity 3.8) complements this procedure.
Different types of reservoirs were chosen to develop these methods. The target population is small-scale entrepreneurs and subsistence/part-time fishermens living adjacent to the reservoirs.
5.1 REVIEW OF OUTPUTS
Outstanding work was accomplished by the APO who performed the national inventory of reservoirs. It comprised a national survey of lakes and reservoirs, together with the biotechnical analysis. This was an exceedingly complex undertaking which went beyond the subproject objectives.
It is not ALCOM's objectives to perform nationwide surveys, but only to develop the survey method and train national staff for the entire survey. In any event, the survey results provide important information on the present status of the reservoirs, including essential information concerning morphometric data, the level of siltation, species composition, access, etc.
The draft final report (“Strategies for Fish Production in Lowland Reservoirs in Lesotho” by Tilquin C. and Lechela L.) including the sub-project's biotechnical work was successfully. Unfortunately, a detailed socio-economic analysis to derive management options remains pending. This is discouraging because of the work accomplished in the bio-technical component. Had ALCOM's management provided better coordination, by conducting simultaneously the bio-technical with detailed socio-economic studies, a working management method for the development of the small water bodies of the lowlands in Lesotho would have been ready by now. If a detailed socio-economic analysis focused on tenure arrangements is not carried out immediately, the bio-technical work accomplished risks ending up in the files.
5.2 MANAGEMENT
The subproject was to be executed by the Fisheries Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), assisted by ALCOM.
(a) Management by the Fisheries Unit of MOA
From discussions with authorities and field visits, it is evident that MOA involvement with the subproject was peripheral. Technical and management information appear not to have flowed between ALCOM staff in Harare and those in Maseru. Further, three different national counterparts were assigned to this subproject over a period of 20 months. Under these conditions, effective training and institution building is impossible.
(b) Management by ALCOM
It is distressing that only the morphometric and biotechnical part of the management study was developed without a complementary detailed socio-economic analysis. This is a major coordination flaw. Although a survey was carried out on demand of fresh fish in communities adjacent to some reservoirs, evidence demonstrates that the prevailing tenure regime is the bottleneck for community-based resource management. That being the case, all social science efforts should have been focused on the options for tenure adjustments within the national framework of tenure reform. The latter is an ongoing exercise between FAO and the national authorities.
(c) Budget
In the subproject document a budget of USD110.000 was proposed for an execution period of 2 years. Salary of the APO was not included, since it is not part of the ALCOM budget. Exact figures are unavailable regarding the actual subproject cost. However, USD21.967 is the planned for 1994 expenditure.
5.3 SUSTAINABILITY
The conditions for sustainability, from the government standpoint, are nowhere near the required minimum. Although legislation on fishery rights and tenure regime are currently under review, inland fishery appears as a minor activity. It lacks the government budget needed to continue the development work for eventual nationwide application.
5.4 PREVAILING ISSUES
Although the subproject was launched at the request of the Government of Lesotho, effective national participation is inadequate. The results obtained on the biotechnical management methods are of good quality. The APO's driving force to obtain useful biotechnical results, in the complex subject of small water bodies management, is commendable. A tenure-focused socio-economic study is necessary to develop sustainable management.
Indeed, during the meetings held with the chiefs and communities surrounding the Rakolo and Nyienye dams, there appeared to exist a great awareness gap, between the communities and the government, regarding tenure adjustments needed for the sustainable management of the fisheries in the dams. The community chiefs, including some women, had already thought out some options for the management and exploitation of fisheries in the dams. But the same cannot be said for the central government authorities.
National authorities appear to assume that ALCOM was an execution agency with large inputs to develop rural programmes. ALCOM can only assist governments to develop methods on a pilot scale, for eventual nationwide application.
The inventory of the small water bodies indicates a high number of silted reservoirs, useless for any management. It was also observed during the field visits that the reservoirs inspected were ecologically unprotected with a high degree of erosion on surrounding slopes. The environmental management of the reservoirs should be integrated with small water body management. A management scheme for reservoirs, that will become silted-up owing to erosion or lost through poor dam bad dam construction, would not be sustainable.
