the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

significant feature of the flooded areas is that they are rich in nutrients, which,
coupled with the water, allow for a lush growth of plants and the emergence of
insects and other small animals. All these organisms provide young fish with a
plentiful supply of food. The floodplains also offer the young fish refuge from larger,
predatory species, and the greatest survival of young fish and overall increase in fish
population occur in years when water levels are high and flooding lasts longest. The
key point therefore is that the annual flooding of the rivers is the primary driving force
for the breeding of fish in the whole of the Okavango River system (Mendelsohn and
el Obeid, 2004).
7.2.5.2 Use of Fish Resources by the Tourism Industry
The tourism industry in the Okavango Delta region relies heavily on the commercial
use of the Okavango's waterways, and recreational fishing is an integral part of the
Delta's tourism industry. Many tourists come to the Okavango, particularly the
Panhandle region, solely to fish, and there are numerous lodges and camps in the
upper Delta and Panhandle whose primary focus is the sale of fishing opportunities
to tourists. Although fishing takes place all year round, the months of September to
December are the peak recreational fishing months in the Delta when the river is at
its lowest and the fish are most concentrated. Tiger Fish, bream, barbel and pike are
the main species sought by recreational fishermen (Makhajwe et ai, 1995;
Mendelsohn and el Obeid, 2004).
All the managers of the 63 tourist accommodation facilities interviewed in the
Okavango Delta stated that they either offered tourists fishing opportunities from
their own facilities in the Delta/Panhandle, or would alternatively organise to take
tourists further up into the Delta to fishing sites/areas, if fishing trips/opportunities
from the accommodation facility itself was not possible (such as in tourist
accommodation facilities in Maun) if such a request was made. Forty two percent of
the 63 facilities managers that responded to the questionnaire stated that they had
their own boats that tourists could hire, with a guide/driver, for fishing (and scenic
rides through the Delta). All of the facilities in the Panhandle region, and most of the
facilities in the upper Delta have their own boats which are available for use by
tourists. Tourists are also able to fish off the banks or boat jetties of many of the
tourist facilities in the Panhandle and upper Delta. The remaining 58 percent of the
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