The Contribution of Lake Victoria Fisheries to Household Incomes: a Case Study of Small-scale Nile Perch Fisheries in Sengerema and Ilemela Districts, Tanzania

Small-scale fisheries has been playing a great role in Tanzania in terms of household incomes. However, due to competition in the fishery industry, small-scale Nile Perch fishers have been the losers while the Gear owners in the industry have been the winners. The study has come with some mixed results showing different ways through which fishers are monthly paid in the two fishing beaches that were of interest in this study namely Kijiweni and Igombe fishing beaches. Fishermen in Kijiweni beach had an absolute advantage in income generation both during high and low catch seasons over Igombe fishing beach. But sill they were not getting higher income as their gear owners who employed them. This study intends to benefit all stakeholders that are involved in the fishery sector including fishers themselves, policy makers at both the central and local government levels with view to improving the performance of the the fishery sector in Tanzania and in particular the Small-scale fisheries.