The decentralisation of resource management through co-management assumes that the devolution of power benefits resource users. This assumption is often premised on the democratic election of leaders within resource user organisations. In this article, we investigate the validity of co-management assumptions about who benefits from a devolution of decision-making power through a case study analysis of political equity in fisherfolk organisations of Beach Management Units (BMUs) in Lake Victoria (Kenya). From the analysis of the distribution of political power, we identify how, where, and for whom greater accountability can work to address the current political inertia of fisherfolk, who form a majority of the BMU membership. We also identify the relationships between the empowerment of fisherfolk, the accountability of the BMU leaders, and the distribution of political power determining decision making in co-management. We conclude with identifying how other mechanisms of social accountability beyond elections can improve accountability of elected leaders of resource users for improved co-management outcomes.

中文翻译：

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在维多利亚湖（肯尼亚）的海滩管理部门内促进对公平渔业的社会责任

通过共同管理进行资源管理的分散化假定权力下放使资源用户受益。这种假设通常以资源用户组织内的领导人民主选举为前提。在本文中，我们通过对维多利亚湖（肯尼亚）海滩管理单位（BMU）的渔民组织中的政治公平性进行案例分析，研究了关于谁受益于决策权转移的共同管理假设的有效性。通过对政治权力分布的分析，我们确定了更大的责任制如何，在何处以及对谁负责，以解决当前构成BMU成员多数的渔民的政治惯性。我们还确定了渔民赋权，BMU领导人的问责制，以及决定共同管理决策的政治权力分布。我们以确定选举以外的其他社会责任机制如何改善资源用户的民选领导人的问责制来改善共同管理成果为结论。