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This paper investigates the social relations of production and working conditions of fisher-labourers within the canoe fisheries of Lakes Kyoga and Victoria. Using field research conducted in select landing sites, the study seeks to understand the accumulation processes in the fisheries sector and how they influence labour conditions, income distribution, and exploitation.
The author begins by highlighting the rapid growth of Uganda’s fisheries industry post-1970s and the increasing commercialization of the sector. He notes a shift from subsistence fishing to commoditized, profit-oriented production where capital accumulation is driven by canoe owners at the expense of labourers.
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By Mwambutsya Ndebesa
Working Paper No. 2
This paper investigates the social relations of production and working conditions of fisher-labourers within the canoe fisheries of Lakes Kyoga and Victoria. Using field research conducted in select landing sites, the study seeks to understand the accumulation processes in the fisheries sector and how they influence labour conditions, income distribution, and exploitation.
The author begins by highlighting the rapid growth of Uganda’s fisheries industry post-1970s and the increasing commercialization of the sector. He notes a shift from subsistence fishing to commoditized, profit-oriented production where capital accumulation is driven by canoe owners at the expense of labourers.
Key issues discussed include:
Ownership and Control of Capital: Canoes and fishing gear are owned by a small class of investors or absentee canoe owners, who do not engage in fishing themselves. This ownership pattern creates a class divide between capital-owning canoe owners and labour-dependent fisher-labourers.
Forms of Exploitation: The author explains that exploitation occurs through unequal sharing of fish catch, irregular payments, and lack of protective labour structures. Fisher-labourers often receive payment in kind (fish), which is vulnerable to price fluctuations and middlemen manipulation.
Working Conditions: Fisher-labourers work under harsh and risky conditions with no legal or institutional protection. They are exposed to accidents, long working hours, and lack of medical care, with minimal avenues for collective bargaining.
Labour Relations: The study identifies a growing proletarianization of fisher-labourers who are increasingly divorced from the means of production. Their labour is commodified, while decision-making power and surplus extraction are centralized in the hands of the canoe owners.
Capital Accumulation and Market Structures: Middlemen and fish buyers play a significant role in shaping the market, often colluding with canoe owners to set exploitative prices and dominate the value chain. This intensifies the marginalization of fisher-labourers.
