Tanzanian Small-Scale Fisheries Survey Data

The dataset is part of a survey conducted in Tanzania that was produced with the financial support of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) in the framework of the SOLSTICE‐WIO project, NE/P021050/1. The survey was conducted during two field campaigns - one in July 2018, the other in July/August 2019. Fishers’ information was collected from 293 heads of households across 4 regions/islands including Unguja Island (Nungwi and Mkokotoni); Pemba Island (Wesha) Tanga on the mainland (Mkinga) and Mafia Island (Bweni and Kilindoni). All interviews were conducted in Swahili at the fish landing sites (fishing markets at each location chosen as sampling clusters) using a non-probability approach (i.e. haphazard versus convenience sampling) due to the logistical difficulties of conducting a probability random sample across households that were highly geographically spread in all sampled communities. Also, because the target sampling population were fishers, the best way to sample them was to treat market locations as sampling clusters. The study focuses on how fishers within different wealth quartiles perceive their ability to diversify livelihoods and how diverse their fishing strategies are. The research questions were (1) do wealthier fishers have greater ability to diversify livelihoods, and (2) do wealthier fishers have highly diverse fishing portfolios? The study applied these questions to Small-Scale Fisheries in Tanzania to observe whether wealthier fishers are utilising diversification strategies to increase resilience and decrease financial risk associated to dependency on tropical fisheries. The main findings were that wealthier fishers in Pemba, Zanzibar, and Mafia have greater access to diverse fishing portfolios and had higher levels of adaptive capacity to shift into alternative occupations. However, wealthier fishers in Tanga have less diverse fishing strategies and lower levels of adaptive capacity. Acknowledgments: The team responsible for the survey work carried out in Tanzania was led by Shankar Aswani and Narriman Jiddawi: Khamis Hassan, Maryam Abeid and Ali Rashid, Ramadhan Rashid, Frank Mirobo, Amana Pandu, Nassoro Katunda, Tumbu Ladislaus, Idris Kweweta, Filbert Msafiri and Secilia Tarama, Rose Mwaipopo, Jack Coupland, Brian Khumalo, Yvette Le Fleur and Amber Smith, Lebogang Kibane, and Rinisa Naidoo, and overall project logistics coordination by Sofia Alexiou