Seasonal Nile Crocodile Damage to Fishing Gear, Incident Reporting and Livelihood Responses in the Sudd Wetlands, South Sudan

Abstract

Wetlands support fisheries and other livelihoods but can also bring people into close contact with crocodilians. Human–crocodile conflict has been documented across Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas, yet indirect economic costs, including damage to fishing gear, remain less studied than attacks on people or livestock. We analysed questionnaire data from 379 respondents in purposively selected crocodile-exposed fishing communities in the southern Sudd Wetlands, South Sudan. The study quantified seasonal patterns of Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) damage to fishing gear, reporting pathways, conflict-resolution perceptions, responses to damaged gear and likely annual damaged-net categories. Reporting pathways were defined as the social and institutional channels through which respondents said gear-damage incidents were communicated; handling responses were defined as actions taken after gear was damaged. As expected from seasonal variation in floodplain use, the water level and fishing activity, reported damage was concentrated from July to December, with September the being most frequently selected main damage month (157 respondents; 41.4%). Quarterly ordinal responses differed among seasons (Friedman test: χ2=721.54, df = 3, p<0.001). Cumulative link models that included both quarters and the broader survey area showed the largest odds-ratio contrasts for July–September and October–December, whereas broader-area contrasts were smaller, and their confidence intervals overlapped one. Reporting was dominated by informal and community pathways: fishing-camp leadership, family members and other fishers each reached 100% agreement, whereas wildlife authorities received no affirmative reporting. Respondents also expressed little confidence in formal conflict resolution: 100% agreed that crocodile-related gear-damage conflicts were difficult to resolve, and 0% agreed that government would compensate for damaged gear. Damaged nets were mainly abandoned and replaced; repair was rare (1.6%). The most likely annual damaged-net category was 1–5 nets/year/participant (275 respondents; 72.6%). Because the survey was purposive, the results should be interpreted as patterns among sampled respondents and locations, not as prevalence estimates for all fishers in the Sudd Wetlands or South Sudan. The findings indicate that seasonal gear damage, weak formal reporting to wildlife institutions and limited institutional confidence should be central considerations in crocodile-conflict management.