Fish Production of the Drainage Area and the Influence of Ecosystem Changes on Fish Distribution

Abstract

At one point during my Lake Kariba studies it became clear that the local subsistence fishery, even on the smallest intermittent streams, could have some importance in the nutrition of the local population. The drainage area of a river and/or a lake in toto might yield a significant amount of protein and therefore should not be neglected in research programs.

Contrary to popular opinion, man the hunter and gatherer did not live on the edge of catastrophe, nor did he spend the greater part of his time seeking food. Studies of the few remaining hunting cultures indicate that he worked less than we do, that his quests for food took up only a small portion of his time, and that leisure was abundant. He was relatively happy and lacked any real concern for tomorrow. His wants were restricted, and, because of his need to move, wealth was a burden… Robert Leo Smith (1972)