Sustainable rural livelihoods? Evaluating the potential of small‐scale aquaculture in the Western Cape

Abstract

Rural unemployment is exacerbated by the decrease in demand for farm labour on commercial farms; therefore, alternative livelihood opportunities for rural dwellers require investigation. The production of fish inform dams offers such an opportunity. A research project was undertaken to evaluate the potential of small‐scale aquaculture to create sustainable rural livelihoods. An existing aquaculture project in De Dooms in the Western Cape was evaluated in terms of its ability to provide an alternative source of income and a cheap animal protein source. A needs assessment of the local community and an evaluation of the pilot project in terms of its potential to meet the identified needs were carried out. The results indicated that, subject to the implementation of the recommendations, the project has the potential to create sustainable livelihoods, but that sociopolitical issues should be accorded equal consideration to biotechnical and economic feasibility.

Notes

Respectively, Coordinator and Lecturer, Enviro Unit, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town. We wish to thank the community of De Doorns for their assistance and participation, as well as our student assistant for her help with the fieldwork. We would like to acknowledge the Oppenheimer Institute for African Studies for assisting in funding the research, and the Rural Foundation and Department of Agriculture for their assistance and for involving us in this project. Thank you to my supervisor cum co‐author, Dr Belinda Dodson, for her support, advice and input into this research.