Navigating Co-Management in Small Pelagic Fisheries Along Tanzania’s Coastal Waters: The Role of Power and Institutions for Local Government Fisheries Officers

Navigating Co-Management in Small Pelagic Fisheries Along Tanzania’s Coastal Waters: The Role of Power and Institutions for Local Government Fisheries Officers 

The study investigates the role of local government fisheries officers in co-managing small pelagic fisheries in Tanzania’s coastal waters, examining how they navigate power dynamics and institutional frameworks to engage with stakeholders.

Co-management is often promoted as a sustainable fisheries governance solution, yet a key feature that will influence its success is the type of partnerships forged between state actors and non-state actors, including resource users and local government officers. However, few studies have investigated these officers' actual role in practice, especially in the context of small pelagic fisheries where institutional weaknesses and power imbalances still prevail.

This study intends to investigate the approaches that fisheries officers adopt in negotiating conflict, building relationships, and exercising decision-making in co-management. It also explores the power dynamics that influence their engagement with fishers, community members, and non-governmental organizations and evaluates the institutional arrangements that facilitate or hinder their capacities.

In this study, Pangani and Bagamoyo districts will be chosen as case studies due to their different stages of fisheries co-management development and institutional support. Data will be collected using qualitative ethnographic methods, including participant observation, shadowing, and semi-structured interviews with fisheries officers and other stakeholders. Data will be organised into themes and categories using NVivo software, which will separate text into chunks and assign them a code. The themes will be organised into key points, many of which will be illustrated with quotes.

It will contribute to the academic literature on fisheries co-management by showcasing local government fisheries officers as 'interface bureaucrats' who serve as intermediaries striking a balance between the interests and demands of both the state and society and implement policies, laws, and projects on the ground. It will also produce policy-relevant insights on the factors shaping collaboration, power-sharing, and institutional effectiveness in fisheries governance. The findings will outline the challenges and opportunities and serve as a basis for strategies to enhance co-management practices for small pelagic fisheries governance in Tanzania.