Propulsion-gear-based characterisation of artisanal fisheries in the Malindi-Ungwana Bay, Kenya and its use for fisheries management

Abstract

In Kenya, like o th e r tro p ic a l c o u n trie s, c o a sta l a rtis a n a l fish e ry is m u ltisp e cies, m u ltig e a r a n d m u ltifle e t in n a tu re w ith m a n y m a n a g e m e n t c h allen g e s. T he M a lin d i-U n g w an a Bay in p a rtic u la r, s u p p o rts b o th th e a rtis a n a l fish e ry a n d th e se m i-in d u s tria l b o tto m tra w l sh rim p fish e ry p re s e n tin g a m a n a g e m e n t c h a llenge. R ecent sto ck a s s e s s m e n t su rv ey s h a v e id e n tifie d c a tc h c o m p o sitio n o f th e se m i-in d u s tria l b o tto m tra w l fish e ry in th e b a y b u t a rtis a n a l c a tc h e s re m a in b a re ly d e sc rib e d . T his s tu d y d e sc rib e s, th e a rtis a n a l fish c a tc h c o m p o sitio n (to ta l n u m b e r o f sp ecies c au g h t, sizes a n d tro p h ic levels), a n d c a tc h -p e r-u n ite ffo rt (CPUE) for e a c h o f th e m o s t p o p u la r p ro p u ls io n -g e a r c a te g o rie s u s e d in th e bay. W e m a k e a case th a t th e u se o f specific p ro p u ls io n -g e a r c ate g o rie s c an b e d y n a m ic a lly m a n a g e d to e n c o u ra g e th e re ­ c o v ery o f se le c te d fish g ro u p s a n d th u s s u p p o rt fish e rie s m a n a g e m e n t. A to ta l o f 4 26 9 finfish b e lo n g in g to 177 sp ecies a n d 66 fam ilies w e re s a m p le d b y th e 5 m o s t p o p u la r p ro p u ls io n -g e a r c a te g o rie s b e tw e e n 2 0 0 9 a n d 2011. T he to ta l n u m b e r o f sp ecies c a u g h t w a s h ig h e st fo r c a n o e -g illn e t, m a s/itia -g illn e t a n d fo o t-se in e n e t, a n d lo w e st for fo o t-h a n d lin e a n d m a s/itia -h a n d lin e . S ig n ifican t d ifferen c e s in c a tc h c o m p o sitio n e x iste d b e tw e e n th e d iffe re n t p ro p u ls io n -g e a r c ateg o ries. T he CPUE w a s n o t sig n ific a n tly d iffe re n t b e tw e e n p ro p u lsio n -g e a r, a lth o u g h th is w a s o n th e a v erag e h ig h e s t fo r c a n o e -g illn e t a n d m as/itia-g illn et, a n d lo w e st for th e fo o t-h a n d lin e . T he h ig h e s t tro p h ic level o f 4 .0 w as re c o rd e d for m as/itia -g illn e t a n d th e lo w e st 3.4 a n d 3.2 fo r c a n o e -g illn e t a n d fo o t-se in e n e t resp ectiv ely . T he u se o f specific c o m b in a tio n s o f p ro p u ls io n -g e a r c ateg o ries, give a n a lte rn a tiv e a p p ro a c h in m a n a g e m e n t re c o m m e n d a tio n o f th e c o asta l a rtis a n a l fish eries in th e tro p ics, fro m th e tra d itio n a l g e a r-b a se d m a n ­ a g e m e n t in itia tiv e . T his stu d y , sin g le d o u t th e m as/itia-g illn et, c a n o e -g illn e t a n d fo o t-se in e n e t as su ita b le u n its fo r m o n ito rin g th e a rtis a n a l fish e rie s in M a lin d i-U n g w an a Bay sin ce m a s/itia -g illn e t la n d s th e h ig h e st m e a n tro p h ic level a n d la rg e st sized in d iv id u a ls, a n d c a n o e -g illn e t a n d fo o t-se in e n e t la n d th e h ig h e st n u m b e r o f sp ecies c a u g h t a n d s m a lle s t sized in d iv id u als.