Contested fishing grounds : examining the possibility of a transboundary management regime in the Lake Kariba fishery

Abstract

The general objective of this study is to propose a TBNRM arrangement for the Mlibizi Basin of Lake Kariba. The justification is borne out by the fact that both Zambia and Zimbabwe have embraced policies that promote CBNRM and TBNRM. These ‘people-centred’ conservation policies have not led to the resolution of conflict in the Mlibizi Basin of Lake Kariba where fishers from the two countries utilise the same ecosystem under different management regimes. It will be the purpose of this paper to explain basis of the conflict and use examples from the existing TBNRMs in other natural resources such as wildlife to suggest how a similar arrangement in the basin can lead to an equitable and sustainable use of this contested artisanal fishery.