Sources and Resolutions of Conflicts in Nigerian Artisanal Fisheries

Abstract

"The traditional approach to fishery management is predominant in the artisanal fisheries of Nigeria. However, the control of access to and use of fisheries resources using traditional methods is often encumbered by varying objectives and preferences of different groups of resource users, different interpretation of rules and different perception of existing usufructuary relations. Thus, even though the approach provides rules for exclusion and regulation of use, it is not free of conflicts. This study, therefore, sought to examine the types, causes and resolution of conflicts in the Nigerian artisanal fisheries. This is crucial because the competence of resource owners and users in ensuring sustainable management and the resilience of management practices can be viewed in terms of their capability to resolve conflicts arising from the social relations associated with the control of access to and use of fisheries resources."