Photo Voice workshops were held after the Gender and Fisheries workshops.
Participants were provided with disposable cameras and were asked to take photographs to represent issues in their communities. They were informed that photographs are good tools to raise issues and could be stronger than raised voices alone.
The training objectives were:
- Participants to tell their stories through photographs so that others can see issues impacting their lives through their eyes
- Participants to record their community strengths and weaknesses through photographic evidence to share through critical reflections
- To use photographic evidence to inform decision-makers for socio-economic change.
The exercise was a new exposure to participants who immensely enjoyed the process.
Participants discussed what they would photograph and worked together to capture select scenes.
Secondly, the photographs were then downloaded and pictures printed.
Thirdly, participants assisted each other in assembling the photos to tell a fisheries story.
Lastly, participants were able to highlight severe problems they face in fishing activities.
One village photographically depicted their main issues in regard to mud-crab harvesting. These were:
- Overharvesting of mud-crabs at certain locations and
- Pollution and destruction of mangroves especially the breeding sites for mud-crabs by insecticides and ‘duva’ – this Derris plant is a strong insecticide and fish poison.
Another village depicted issues regarding the harvesting of mud-crabs, seaweed and seashells.
These were:
- The improper management of boats
- Threat of sharks at high tides and
- The lack of awareness on value added and marketing opportunities for the abundant marine resources.
