Breaking the ice: how visual research methods helped build trust between researcher and fishermen

Photo header: Chisala with the fishermen in initial focus group discussion

By: Chisala Lupele

When designing research methodologies, we consider different scenarios of our positionality, but in reality, building trust and navigating local dynamics is most complex. This reflection explores how a dabbed “city girl” overcame those challenges, fostering relationships with fishermen in remote Zambian communities by using Visual Research Methods. Through this approach, she not only collected data but also bridged cultural divides, highlighting the importance of trust and flexibility in effective research design.

The story unfolds on the white Kalahari sands, beneath which lie rich minerals, with the meandering Kwando River flowing above. Originating in Angola, the Kwando winds along Zambia’s border, through Namibia, and into the Linyanti Swamps near Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Despite its pristine nature, unsustainable fishing practices threaten its fish populations with declining targeted fish species.

To address this, a study engaged fishermen using semi-structured interviews and focus groups to understand their fishing practice by exploring their fishing history, methods, and relations among themselves and others. The researcher anticipated challenges due to her positionality—being young, female, and educated—but also encountered unexpected cultural dynamics. Early discussions with the fishermen in the data collection process revealed low trust, requiring flexibility to avoid scripted responses and build genuine trust and engagement.

Reflecting on her experiential knowledge of developing and using communication materials to aid informal learning in conservation awareness raising campaigns, the researcher used Photo Elicitation in form of Gallery Walk to overcome the cultural dynamics observed and gain trust among the fishermen. Photo Elicitation is a form of Visual Research Methods which uses photographs in interviews to stimulate deeper responses, allowing participants to express themselves beyond words, especially in informal settings. This method encourages emotional and experiential insights that traditional interviews might miss, as participants connect images to their personal knowledge, experiences, or the context in which they view them. This method coupled with Gallery walk technique which involves research participants walk around and discuss what is on display in a room; in this case being fish species and fishing methods and gear common to Zambian waters. Use of Visual Research Methods like Photo Elicitation have been sparsely used in natural resource governance studies.

The process

After using found images of fish species and fishing methods and gears used common to Zambian waters, they were displayed on the wall of the meeting room. As the fishermen began to flock into the room, they were encouraged to engage with the material on the wall while they waited for the other fishermen to come through. Soon, the room was filled with chuckles and laughter as they called one another towards what the researcher found was a lucrative fish species they often caught for sale.

Fish species and gears stack on the wall with fishermen observing before the meeting.

The session was called to motion and the researcher introduced the activity to be done for the morning while emphasising how they were experts of fish and fishing and that they were all there to learn from each other including the researcher. Soon rotation in the room began as discussion on each species and method began. Historical accounts of their experience catching certain fish species were shared, debate on presence of the fish species and admission to using illegal and unsustainable fishing practices were shared. Half way through the gallery walk, the fishermen at their own accord began to cluster the fish species according to their families from their experiential knowledge while fishing on the river. This was beautiful to watch as the researcher reflected back to the initial focus group discussion where scripted answers were given as feedback as opposed to this discussion a visual research method was used and the fishermen were free and engaged openly with the researcher.

Fishermen grouping the images during the gallery walk discussion.

The following day, the fishermen decided to bring some of the fish and fishing methods and gear talked about the previous day to show the researcher at their own accord.  When asked why they brought them and an elderly fisherman responded, “because you are a city girl, you haven’t seen this small fish before,” he said. After that, laughter ensued because yes, I was a city girl and I had never seen the fish before. For me this type of banter indicated how trust between myself and them was developing against all cultural dynamics existing between us.

Fish brought to the next meeting.

About the authour: Chisala Lupele is a PhD researcher in the River Commons Project. She is interested in multi-level governance, learning and inclusivity different actors in policy development. Her PhD study focuses on fishery practice, governance and learning at community, national and international level on the Kwando River in Southern Africa.