The Case for a Community Based Property Rights Regime in the Laws and Policies Governing Zimbabwe's Fishery Resources: The Case Study of Upper Ruti Dam

Abstract

"The main purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which CBPR and CBNRM strategies can be utilised in the sustainable exploitation of natural resources by rural communities. In this research, the focus of study was the fishery resource in Zimbabwe and particularly the Ruti dam fishery.

"The report analyses the ways in which the local communities derive benefit from the Ruti dam within the framework of the existing laws. Further, it also analyses whether the national laws and policies adequately balance the needs of the communities against the ideal of sustainable exploitation, and further still, how these can be reformed to achieve the desired balance. It is recommended that Zimbabwe's laws and policies on fisheries should be altered to recognise and give legal effect to management strategies in which the local communities directly participate. During the field study on Ruti dam, the local communities suggested ways in which they can participate in the management of the fishery resources whilst providing a safety net for ensuring that their exploitation of the resource is sustainable."