This report presents recommendations for modifications to the procedures and questionnaires used during the pilot survey, as well as the rationale for those modifications.
The pilot survey was carried out in the Northern Province of Zambia in October 1987. The survey team included two aquaculturists, Mr Hans Aase (with project GCP/INT/436/SWE) and Mr H.C. Kabunda of the Misamfu Fish Farm, Northern Province; and two sociologists, Ms Phebby Ntembe and Ms Nelly Mazingaliwa. The four assembled in Lusaka before spending three weeks in the field. During that time 89 interviews were carried out. They included 46 interviews with farmers practising tilapia farming, 22 with farmers who used to raise tilapia in ponds, and 21 with individuals believed to be potential fish-farmers. The survey team travelled in two four-wheel drive vehicles placed at the disposal of the survey by NORAD.
Three out of four interviews were conducted in the mother tongue of the respondent. None of the farmers contacted by the survey teams refused to be interviewed, and none terminated the interview on his own initiative.
Those who carried out the survey found no serious discrepancies between what they observed and the findings as reported (Results of a Socio-Economic Pilot Survey on Fish - Farmers in Rural Communities in the Northern Province of Zambia, October 1987).
There are a few additional data which might be useful for the survey results, and which might be collected without any major additional effort. They are: depth of ponds, water-flow through ponds and destination of run-off water, distance between main household compound and pond, feed and fertilizer - their use and availability.
The pilot survey as a part of the “Current situation and outlook” intended to establish the “health” of existing fish pond through comparison of an estimated rate of production at a normal rate. This proved not to be possible. The main reason is that farmers practise continuous culture, with intermediary harvesting, not batch culture with relatively large volumes harvested at 5–7 month intervals. The questionnaires were formulated around this latter idea and therefore proved inadequate.
The “Fish-Farmer” survey achieved its purpose. It resulted in a description of the motives, behaviour patterns and characteristics of the fish-farmer. The description is in social and economic terms. However, it is felt that the survey can yield more definitive results if it also establishes the origin of the fish pond(s), and extent to which water from the fish pond(s) is used also for other purposes.
It is recommended that the sample size be increased to about 200, and that special attention be given to ensure that the sample be representative with respect to the categories “female-headed households” and “potential fish-farmers”. An appendix to this report contains questionnaires amended to take into consideration the observations made here.
