Shifting Tides,Complex Lives: The Dynamics of Fishing and Tourism Livelihoods on the Kenyan Coast |
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| Authors: | Christine Carter |
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| Institution: | Department of Anthropology , University College London , London , United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | This article investigates the complexities of fisher livelihoods and their interactions with the tourism industry on the Kenyan coast, to better understand how the prospects for alternative livelihoods, such as tourism, reduce fishing pressure. Data were derived from a questionnaire of 123 households and 30 interviews. Results showed that fishers cover the whole socioeconomic spectrum and that the role of fishing in livelihoods is heterogeneous both between individuals and for individuals over time. The majority of fishers do not combine tourism and fishing simultaneously, but livelihoods are characterized by a process of moving in and out of various activities as opportunities present themselves. There was no evidence of systematic or permanent displacement of fishers as a result of tourism. Given that fishing is not only an occupation carried out by those with no alternatives, prospects for alternative livelihoods systematically reducing fishing effort, predicated on this assumption, are questioned. |
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| Keywords: | alternative livelihoods conservation development fishing tourism |
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