Assessment of Informal Cross-Border Fish Trade in the Southern Africa Region: A Case of Malawi and Zambia (original) (raw)
2017
This study assessed the type, extent and modalities of intra-regional fish trade between South Africa and other SADC countries. Cross-border fish trade and its importance in boosting intra-regional fish trade between South Africa and the rest of SADC is poorly documented and as such, little systematic effort has been made to understand its type, extent and modalities in order to address the problems of those engaged in the activity. Regional fish trade continues to be important even though it is not always adequately reflected in official statistics. The qualitative research methodology formed the basis of this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with fish traders at Park City Central Bus Station in Johannesburg and in-depth interviews with selected key informants from customs, port, health and immigration officials at the Beitbridge and Lebombo border posts. Participants of the study were selected through a combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to digitise national boundaries, border posts and the routes used by fish traders from the sources to distribution points in Johannesburg. The study adopted the new regionalism, regional integration and regional trade conceptual frameworks and attempted to apply the pro-fish trade theory as the theoretical framework. The most common fishery products being imported into South Africa from other SADC countries include, for example, small fish species like usipa (from Malawi), and sun dried kapenta (from Zimbabwe and Mozambique) because it is easy to store, preserve and transport these fish from SADC countries to South Africa. Other fish products imported into South Africa include smoked dried catfish (from Zambia and Malawi), chisense fish (from DRC and Zambia), fresh chambo (from Malawi), bream (from Zimbabwe), and many others. These species are extremely important for regional trade in the SADC region. Most are unrecorded in official catch statistics. The market for these fish species thrive in South Africa because of migrant and diaspora communities, especially from http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ iv Southern and West Africa who prefer these for various reasons including the familiar taste. Most SADC fish traders use buses because they travel with their fish. Park Station is a major distribution centre for cross-border fish trading in the SADC region by virtue of being a major transport interchange for international buses, which links the north-south corridor and the Maputo corridor. South Africa, on the other hand, exports marine fish in the form of canned pilchards to other SADC nations. Horse mackerel, mostly from Namibia, and Chinese farmed tilapia are also being exported to the rest of Africa. Among other things, the study observed that the fish trade between South Africa and rest of the SADC region goes through informal channels, is undervalued and most of the times unrecorded. Informal cross-border fish trade is largely undertaken by small-scale traders who are mostly women. (Women represented more than 70% of the small-scale fish traders). Most of these women operate as informal traders, and as such experience routine ill treatment by customs officials at border posts, traffic police, metropolitan inspectors and the bureaucracy in general. One of the main challenges is the lack of technical harmonisation of fish and fish product standards and regulations governing these standards, and poor implementation of existing regional trade agreements such as the SADC Protocol on Free Trade. Zimbabwe, for instance, unilaterally banned food imports from other countries in 2016. Moves to liberalise trade and promote development through trade have largely focused on large-scale formal sector trade and not cross-border fish trade undertaken by small-scale informal entrepreneurs. The findings of this study aimed to provide recommendations for improved intra-regional fish trade. The study recommended the empowerment of small-scale traders, especially women, because informal trade is likely to remain the key way for undertaking economic transactions for the foreseeable future. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My special gratitude and words of thanks go to WorldFish for funding the research under the Fish Trade Project, "Improving Food Security and Reducing Poverty through Intra-regional Fish Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa". The project funding was made possible through the assistance from the European Union. I extend a word of gratitude to my supervisor Professor Mafaniso Hara, and to my family. Their guidance, encouragement and support were most valuable during the course of my studies. Special mention goes to the fish traders from different SADC countries such as Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe for their cooperation and moral support during fieldwork. To Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and Department of Health (DOH) officials at both Beitbridge and Lebombo border posts, I am most grateful. To all those I did not manage to mention by name and whose contributions I greatly appreciate, please accept my gratitude.
Assessment of Fish Exports from Blantyre District, Southern Malawi
This study presents findings on fish exports from Blantyre, which is the biggest commercial city in Malawi. A cross-sectional research design was used in the study in which fish quantities, species, processing methods, gender of fish exporters and export destinations were analysed. Non-probability data collection methods were used on the secondary data that was collected from Blantyre District Fisheries Office. Findings indicate that a total of 9596 kg (9.6 metric tonnes) of fish was exported within a period of six months in the year 2013 comprising all species available in the local markets and those endemic in Malawi's water bodies. Most fish were exported as sun-dried, para-boiled and smoked. Findings suggest that fish exports from Malawi are in their infancy, fluctuate, and are insignificant for making a positive and sustainable impact to the economy of the country. It is recommended that national and regional policies should be fully utilized to curb exports of fish in order to sustainably satisfy the local huge demand for fish. About 82.6% of the fish exporters were women underpinning the need for policy considerations that value their critical role in the fish export trade such as women empowerment.