What is a BMU?

The fishing communities are organized through the formation of legally empowered Beach Management Units (BMUs). These are not formally part of the LVFO structure but will become formally integrated into LVFO.

Beach Management Units (BMUs) are the foundation of fisheries co-management and are community-based organizations that bring together everyone involved in fisheries at a beach – boat owners, boat crew, traders, processors, boat builders and repairers, net repairers and others – to work with government and other stakeholders in managing fisheries resources and improving the livelihoods of the community members.

Traditional systems of management and other community-based organizations have always existed at the fish landing beaches, but, with the help of IFMP, LVFO is in the process of reforming the BMUs so that they are more inclusive and effective.

What is new about BMUs?

The BMUs now have:

• Legal status, giving legal power to BMU activities.
• All stakeholder groups involved. Everyone working in fisheries at a beach must be registered with a BMU.
•  At least 30 boats, so that they are big enough to plan, raise revenue and operate effectively. Some BMUs have more than one landing site.
• A committee with representatives from all stakeholder groups and at least 3 women.
• An assembly, formed by all registered members of the BMU, who should meet together at least once every 3 months and oversee the work of the committee.

There are 1,087 BMUs on Lake Victoria established according to the Harmonized BMU Guidelines set out an agreed process for BMU reformation and set out the functions of BMUs and the roles of other stakeholders in supporting BMUs. LVFO has a detailed programme of capacity-building for BMUs, including training and mentoring.

BMU Networks

LVFO is supporting the formation of BMU networks that link BMUs to government and other stakeholders at all levels as part of fisheries co-management. The networks are being formed at

• Sub-county (Uganda), location (Kenya) and ward (Tanzania) level
• District level
• National level, linking into the National Fisheries Management Committees

 The BMU Networks will have an elected committee, with stakeholder composition comparable to that of BMUs at community level and will have the primary functions of coordination to harmonize and promote effective management and development.