Fish As An Economic Indicator
According to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other organizations, researchers discovered a surprising correlation between “middle class” communities in Eastern Africa and low fish levels. Curiously, areas with both low and high socio-economic levels had comparatively higher fish levels, up to four times higher, than areas with intermediate levels of infrastructure and development.
The explanation, said researchers, lies in the interplay between traditional customs and how growth influences the social fabric of communities.
In poor communities, many of which rely heavily on marine resources, fishing levels are kept in check by local cultural institutions and taboos and a reliance on traditional, low-tech fishing methods. Increases in wealth often reduce a community’s dependence on fishing, but it can also increase the number of motorized fishing vessels and fishing gear such as handlines.
Economic growth during the early stages can also erode cultural restrictions on overfishing. The net result: fewer fish. Among the countries studied, Kenya in particular, has experienced a sharp decline in cultural restraints and a subsequent increase in unrestrained and destructive fishing techniques.
The most affluent communities, by contrast, become less dependent on marine resources and more diversified economically, with more salaried positions and economic opportunities. Wealthier communities also possess higher levels of technology—larger boats that enable fishermen to fish on the open sea—and an increased awareness on the importance of coral reefs on ecological health.
The U-shaped curve in fish biomass with respect to socioeconomic levels approximates what is known as an environmental “Kuznet curve,” which is adapted from a graphical model that measures economic inequalities in developing countries driven by the extent of a countries economic influence.
The study examined reef systems, human population densities, and socio-economics among villages in 30 fished and unfished study sites in five countries along Africa’s Indian Ocean coast. [Via]
