Dear Colleague,

Continuous over-fishing has caused a decline in fish stocks worldwide and has led to conflicts over the still existing scarce resources (Bavinck, Maarten, Lorenzo Pelligrini and Eric Mostert, 2014). Studies claim that the decline of fish stocks is increasing and that urgent action is needed (Akyeampong, 2007; OECD, 2008). Most research predicts that the impacts of climate change on fish catches will generate negative outcomes for the livelihoods of fishermen (although these studies often focus on marine fisheries and coastal erosion) (Binet et al, 2012). Comparatively little is known about the conditions of artisanal inland fisheries in Africa with regard to climate change and current adaptation outcomes. Inland fisheries refer to riverine and lacustrine wetlands in dry lands, including natural water courses and man-made reservoirs, such as reservoirs and floodplains. They also include fish farming. The Special Issue will assemble empirical case studies from Africa that link climate change adaptation policies, the impact of large dam projects and agricultural expansion, transregional migration, and the livelihood of fishermen, across different scales.

Key concepts:

Contributions in the following directions are welcomed:

1. Local institutional contexts for governance of fish products in inland fisheries
2. Inland fisheries, changes in the ecosystem, and transformability
3. Networks of inland migrant fishers, fish markets, and seasonal fluctuations
4. Uses of LEK – Local Ecological Knowledge – and TEK – Traditional Ecological Knowledge as coping strategies or adaptation in inland fisheries
5. Small scale inland fisheries and the problem of fit
6. Vulnerable inland fishers, disturbance, and brokerage in transition networks
7. Dynamics of socio-ecological changes in inland fisheries
8. Impacts of Ecostate and policy diversity in inland fisheries

All other topics related to Climate change and inland fisheries are welcomed and can range from comparisons between multi-sited contexts to those concerning complex spaces/territories. Comparisons between sea and inland fisheries are also encouraged if they account for adaptive capacity, transformability, conflicts and changes, and shifts in the distribution/consumption and productivities of fisheries.

Dr. Papa Sow
Dr. Gilbert Fokou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• climate change adaptation
• wetlands
• trans-regional migrations
• livelihood
• inland fisheries
• Africa