A new smartphone app is set to change the livelihood of small scale fishermen in South Africa.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, partnered with Dr Serge Raemaekers from the University of Cape Town (UCT), launched the fishing application Abalobi on World Fisheries day.
The app, which is currently in its pilot stage, will “empower fishermen and change power dynamics” in an industry where most small scale fishermen have remained “marginalised”, said Raemaekers.
It aims to be a “log book or diary” for small scale fishermen where they can record their catches, the species, price of sale and other information.
Two major problems which small scale fishermen face will be tackled through this new technology, Raemaekers said. The first problem is the gap between scientific knowledge and local fisher knowledge.
“Their very contextualised local knowledge does not make its way into fisheries management. But also, the scientific understanding of fish stock models does not always gel with the local knowledge owned by fishers,” he said.
The second gripe is that small scale fishermen are mostly “price-takers” because they are forced to work for prices to pay off loans.
“These fishers don’t often get a good price for their catch. Even though this is potentially the most sustainable fishing practice in our inshore waters, these small-scale fishermen are not empowered in the value chain,” Raemaekers said.
The app will allow small scale fisherman to interact with each other through instant messaging. In this way they can work together to get better prices.
In a pilot project run with a group in Struisbaai, Western Cape, fisherman used the app to set a minimum price for their line fish. One fisherman said: “A man must be given the opportunity to better his life. Everything is changing – why should we stay the same?
“Look at how technology is advancing. I cannot live with the technology that my grandfather used.”
In the long term the app will help with safety at sea, connecting fishermen to markets and consumers and building a knowledge hub for fishermen to keep up with latest trends and regulations.
“The app will help implement policy by looking at newer ways for communities to manage resources, said Abongile Ngqongwa, a fishery manager from the department.
App to help small scale fishermen
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, partnered with Dr Serge Raemaekers from the University of Cape Town (UCT), launched the fishing application Abalobi on World Fisheries day.
The app, which is currently in its pilot stage, will “empower fishermen and change power dynamics” in an industry where most small scale fishermen have remained “marginalised”, said Raemaekers.
It aims to be a “log book or diary” for small scale fishermen where they can record their catches, the species, price of sale and other information.
Two major problems which small scale fishermen face will be tackled through this new technology, Raemaekers said. The first problem is the gap between scientific knowledge and local fisher knowledge.
“Their very contextualised local knowledge does not make its way into fisheries management. But also, the scientific understanding of fish stock models does not always gel with the local knowledge owned by fishers,” he said.
The second gripe is that small scale fishermen are mostly “price-takers” because they are forced to work for prices to pay off loans.
“These fishers don’t often get a good price for their catch. Even though this is potentially the most sustainable fishing practice in our inshore waters, these small-scale fishermen are not empowered in the value chain,” Raemaekers said.
The app will allow small scale fisherman to interact with each other through instant messaging. In this way they can work together to get better prices.
In a pilot project run with a group in Struisbaai, Western Cape, fisherman used the app to set a minimum price for their line fish. One fisherman said: “A man must be given the opportunity to better his life. Everything is changing – why should we stay the same?
“Look at how technology is advancing. I cannot live with the technology that my grandfather used.”
In the long term the app will help with safety at sea, connecting fishermen to markets and consumers and building a knowledge hub for fishermen to keep up with latest trends and regulations.
“The app will help implement policy by looking at newer ways for communities to manage resources, said Abongile Ngqongwa, a fishery manager from the department.
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