| dc.description.abstract | Fishing by indigenous communities in Lake Victoria is a historical phenomenon located within the regions social, economic and political systems that exists today and in the past. However, it has been presented in most literature negatively, regarding the methods and management strategies, yet traditional communities are an important factor in the evolution of fishing industry both as a traditional and modern economy. Despite this apparent contradiction, there has been little research on indigenous communities’ engagement in fishing in Lake Victoria basin with the overall objective of examining the socio-economic and technological transformation of the fishing industry. This study aimed to fill the information gaps and provide a knowledge basis for intervention in the management of fishing among traditional communities along Lake Victoria, Kenya. Its broad objective was to analyse, using socio-economic and historical approaches, the socio-economic and technological transformation of the fishing industry in Seme Sub-County during the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods. This study was guided by the following objectives: first to examine the indigenous fishing practices in Seme during the pre-colonial period; second to assess the effects of colonial policies on fishing in Seme and lastly to discuss the changes that occurred in the fishing industry in Seme after independence. The study used articulation of modes of production theory that describes the structure of change from pre-capitalist systems to capitalist systems, illustrating change as a series of interlocking developments. Data were collected in a broad study implemented in sequential stages and employing a variety of methods. They included 196 interviews conducted in the 10 beaches of Seme Sub-County along Lake Victoria from a target population of 642 fishermen. Purposive sampling was used to identify 45 current fishermen, 9 old fishermen, 60 current fish traders, 5 old fish traders, 30 Beach Management Unit (BMU) leaders and 2 government officials from the department of fisheries and 45 cooperative members for interviews. Additional data came from unstructured and semi-structured interviews of the leaders of 4 co-operatives using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques. Qualitative data analysis methods were applied, including content and thematic analysis. This thesis argues that Seme fishers had their own indigenous techniques of fishing, modes of preservation and systems of management that ensured sustainable utilisation of fisheries but British colonialism introduced new policies of taxation and forced labour, which encouraged the Seme fishers to partly break with their pre-colonial arrangements and adopt new ways of responding to the demands of the colonial state. Colonialism introduced new fishing gear and management such as scouts, licensing and closed seasons; all of which were geared towards ensuring the commercial production and development of the fisheries. These developments have since transformed traditional fishing in Seme to mid-water trawls or purse seines operated by large motorised boats.The study has suggested need for research on the socio-economic impact of cage fishing and cooperative societies among the fisher folk in Seme and identified roles for co-operatives in comanagement as; keeping fishing data, mobilizing community funds, controlling fish marketing at the beach level, licensing fishermen, providing education and participating in the formulation of policies and regulations. | en_US |