Perceptions and Reality of Overfishing: Evaluating Shifts in Fish Species Composition and Livelihood Impacts on Pemba Island, Zanzibar

This study was conducted at Pemba Island, Zanzibar. It evaluated the perceived effects of overfishing on shifts in the species composition of fish. 368 people who engage in fishing-related activities participated in a cross-sectional survey and gave different perspectives on ecological change and t...

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Main Author: Sixbert Joachim Msambichaka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Utafiti Foundation 2025-07-01
Series:Eastern African Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://utafitionline.com/index.php/eajhss/article/view/1159
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author Sixbert Joachim Msambichaka
author_facet Sixbert Joachim Msambichaka
author_sort Sixbert Joachim Msambichaka
collection DOAJ
description This study was conducted at Pemba Island, Zanzibar. It evaluated the perceived effects of overfishing on shifts in the species composition of fish. 368 people who engage in fishing-related activities participated in a cross-sectional survey and gave different perspectives on ecological change and their local experiences. The results showed that 55.2% of those surveyed said that the species of fish has reduced significantly in the last several years. A substantial contributing factor that was linked to a 25.2% rise in the probability of documented species changes was overfishing. Residence, marital status, gender, years of fishing experience, and frequency of fishing were additional significant factors. The likelihood of these changes being perceived was lower among infrequent fishermen, but higher among older male fishers, urban dwellers, and those with greater fishing experience. Pemba Island's marine resources to remain ecologically and economically sustainable, the study emphasises the urgent need for inclusive and sustainable fisheries management systems that incorporate local knowledge and address the social aspects of overfishing.
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spelling doaj-art-5f3bde0906624525bfcd0439d7d726192025-08-20T02:41:13ZengUtafiti FoundationEastern African Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences2958-45582025-07-014110.58721/eajhss.v4i1.1159Perceptions and Reality of Overfishing: Evaluating Shifts in Fish Species Composition and Livelihood Impacts on Pemba Island, ZanzibarSixbert Joachim Msambichaka0Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy, Tanzania This study was conducted at Pemba Island, Zanzibar. It evaluated the perceived effects of overfishing on shifts in the species composition of fish. 368 people who engage in fishing-related activities participated in a cross-sectional survey and gave different perspectives on ecological change and their local experiences. The results showed that 55.2% of those surveyed said that the species of fish has reduced significantly in the last several years. A substantial contributing factor that was linked to a 25.2% rise in the probability of documented species changes was overfishing. Residence, marital status, gender, years of fishing experience, and frequency of fishing were additional significant factors. The likelihood of these changes being perceived was lower among infrequent fishermen, but higher among older male fishers, urban dwellers, and those with greater fishing experience. Pemba Island's marine resources to remain ecologically and economically sustainable, the study emphasises the urgent need for inclusive and sustainable fisheries management systems that incorporate local knowledge and address the social aspects of overfishing. https://utafitionline.com/index.php/eajhss/article/view/1159Fish speciesOverfishingPemba IslandUrban dwellers
spellingShingle Sixbert Joachim Msambichaka
Perceptions and Reality of Overfishing: Evaluating Shifts in Fish Species Composition and Livelihood Impacts on Pemba Island, Zanzibar
Eastern African Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences
Fish species
Overfishing
Pemba Island
Urban dwellers
title Perceptions and Reality of Overfishing: Evaluating Shifts in Fish Species Composition and Livelihood Impacts on Pemba Island, Zanzibar
title_full Perceptions and Reality of Overfishing: Evaluating Shifts in Fish Species Composition and Livelihood Impacts on Pemba Island, Zanzibar
title_fullStr Perceptions and Reality of Overfishing: Evaluating Shifts in Fish Species Composition and Livelihood Impacts on Pemba Island, Zanzibar
title_full_unstemmed Perceptions and Reality of Overfishing: Evaluating Shifts in Fish Species Composition and Livelihood Impacts on Pemba Island, Zanzibar
title_short Perceptions and Reality of Overfishing: Evaluating Shifts in Fish Species Composition and Livelihood Impacts on Pemba Island, Zanzibar
title_sort perceptions and reality of overfishing evaluating shifts in fish species composition and livelihood impacts on pemba island zanzibar
topic Fish species
Overfishing
Pemba Island
Urban dwellers
url https://utafitionline.com/index.php/eajhss/article/view/1159
work_keys_str_mv AT sixbertjoachimmsambichaka perceptionsandrealityofoverfishingevaluatingshiftsinfishspeciescompositionandlivelihoodimpactsonpembaislandzanzibar