On August 1st, 2015, I began my field research in a fishing community in Lake Victoria, Tanzania, as part of my masters with TBTI. I am doing my research in Ijinga Island, one of the many fishing communities in Magu district of Mwanza region, Tanzania. This island has approximately 378 households spread across the five ‘vitongoji ’, literally translated as a neighborhood. The area is culturally diverse, even though it is located in Sukuma land where the largest ethnic group in Tanzania is found. The area is marked by different socioeconomic levels and a mixture of cultural influences from immigrant communities like ‘Kerewe’, ‘Luo’, ‘Jita’ and others. Reaching this island is not an easy task. It is situated some 50 kilometers away from Mwanza city, and 15 kilometers away from Magu town. One has to take a public transport at the main trading center, known as Kahangara. From here, one has to ride on a motorcycle, the main means of transport to the landing site -‘Maneto’ from where there are ferry boats to Ijinga Island. Before boarding the ferry boats, each passenger has to fold his trouser or her cloth past the knee in order to wade through the water to get into the ferry boat. This can be quite challenging since, due to 
the water hyacinth, the ferry boats, and even the fishing boats are packed some meters away from the shoreline.
I have been involved in many surveys in Lake Victoria, Tanzania as a research assistant with Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI). But I have not spent more than one day at a landing site nor experienced fishers’ thoughts and behaviours. From an outsider’s perspective, fishers’ have often been viewed as confused, illiterate and even criminals. However, my work with this community contradicts this version. Even though this was not the purpose of my study, I came to realize that fishers, and in particular people living in this island, are knowledgeable about the fishing activities in their area and have a strong social network.
One situation, in particular, made me realize this. I was visiting another neighborhood a few kilometers away from 
the Ijinga Island’s main landing site and quickly learnt that the fishers in this island already knew that I would be visiting. Some believed I was a research student while others viewed me as a government spy on a mission to study illegal fishing practices on the island. This meant I first needed to earn fishers’ trust, in order to be able to collect my data. To do this, I had to socialize with fishers during their fishing activities, in particular, beach seining and join them during the meals. For me, this field survey has been an interesting experience through which I was able to learn about fishers’ attitude and their way of doing things. I have also come to realize that different fishers have different needs. In short, after having a slow start to the survey, things have certainly picked up and I was able to collect the data without any more troubles. Aside from field survey, I’ve kept myself busy with responding to some issues raised by fishers and have enjoyed working with all the different stakeholders in the fisheries.
For me, this field survey has been an interesting experience through which I was able to learn about fishers’ attitude and their everyday life. I have also come to realize that different fishers have different needs. In short, after having a slow start to the survey, things have certainly picked up and I was able to collect the data without any further troubles. Aside from the field survey, I’ve kept myself busy with responding to some issues raised by fishers and have enjoyed working with all the different stakeholders in the fisheries.
