HIV/AIDS and Artisanal Fisheries Nexus: a Case Study of Lake Victoria Kenya.

Abstract

Since the emergence of HIV/AIDS on the shores of Lake Victoria Kenya in 1985, HIV/AIDS-related illness and mortality has remained highest among fishing communities in this region compared to the rest of the population. The primary purpose of this thesis was to understand the HIV/AIDS and artisanal fishery nexus. Using a qualitative approach, perceptions of fishers from two local artisanal fishing communities, Kaswanga and Kolunga on Rusinga Island – Lake Victoria, Kenya were collected. The qualitative approach followed Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and the techniques used included; literature review of government and research documents, participant observation, transect walks, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. A total sample of 50 respondents from both fishing communities were selected for this study. The respondents were artisanal fishers (fish crews and boat owners), fish processors, village/clan elders, and members of the community (village men and women) and village/clan elders. The research findings clearly showed that the type of fishery played a role in increasing the fishing communities’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in that the ban placed on Omena fishing, mainly affecting the Kolunga fishing community, further aggravated their existing poverty situation and made them more susceptible and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. In addition, the Omena fishing ban in Kolunga resulted in the seasonal migration of fishers and fish processors, which increased their susceptibility and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Seasonal migration was not common to Kolunga fishers and fish processors as prior to this ban since they had access to fish all year round. Also, the returns obtained from the fishery played a role in determing the communities’s vulnerability. The study found that the Kaswanga fishing community was slightly less vulnerable to HIV/AIDS compared to Kolunga, due to the fact that Kaswanga had access to somewhat better livelihoods. As Kaswanga and Kolunga fishing communities were engaging in positive coping strategies to reduce their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, it was noted that the HIV/AIDS illness and mortality was also pushing them to engage in coping strategies that were ultimately self-defeating and that actually increased their vulnerability. According to the study, it is also clear that learning played a big role in most of the coping strategies adopted. This was explained using two channels of learning; social (community and peer-to-peer) and individual channels of learning. Social learning involved fishers and fish processors and other community members sharing their knowledge and experiences with one another, on ways of dealing with the implications of HIV/AIDS as peers and as a community. Individual learning involved the ability of individual fishers, fish processors, household members and other members of community to obtain knowledge on different coping strategies through their interactions with other members of the community. The results underscores that emerging issues such as sex-for-fish, sex-for-customer, and tilapia-aphrodisiac phenomenon all contributing to fishing communities’ susceptibility and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. To alleviate the HIV/AIDS problem in the artisanal fishery sector, this study calls for an holistic approach grounded in prevention, treatment and mitigation strategies that requires full participation of all the artisanal fishery stakeholders, fishing communities, the private sector (middlemen and fish processing factories) and the government.