Small-Scale Fisheries Value Chains
Southern Kenya & Northern Tanzania
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and partners are tackling the issue of deteriorating marine environments in the Western Indian Ocean by working with coastal communities and MPAs on fisheries and marine management. The Western Indian Ocean is a socially and biologically diverse region that contains some of the world’s most extensive and most climate resilient coral reefs and mangroves, which are critical sources of protein, coastal protection, and income to coastal populations. Yet, the integrity of the region’s ecosystems is threatened by the overexploitation of fisheries, habitat clearing, and pollution. These threats are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, coral bleaching, and storm events, as well as the insufficient levels of financing available to provide adequate protection and management.
WCS is currently leading a project on the proposed Trans-Boundary Conservation Area (TBCA) between southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. The project addresses these challenges by supporting improved intergovernmental coordination, small scale fisheries management, and MPA management.
For small-scale artisanal fisheries, fishing and fish trading are primary livelihoods and there are few options and sometimes low interest in livelihood diversification. Seeking ways to simultaneously reduce fishing pressure while maintaining community livelihoods is a challenge. We are seeking to explore the history of and options for fisheries value chain additions in six focal communities (3 in each nation) on either side of the Kenya-Tanzania border. We are seeking a consultant to lead this work.
Applications accepted until midnight EST, 15th November