Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management

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A Review of the Status and Potential of the Coastal and Marine Fisheries Resources in Kenya
(International Journal of Marine Science, 2014-11) Aloo, P.A; Munga, C.N; Kimani, E; Ndegwa, S
The fishery sector is critically important especially in the developing world where millions of people depend on fish for their livelihood. In Kenya, fish is a very important source of food and in some communities, more than half of animal protein is derived from fish. The fisheries sector is made up of three sub-sectors: inland capture fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal and marine capture fisheries with overall contribution to total production of 85%, 9% and 6% respectively. The bulk of the total annual catch is landed along the shores of Lake Victoria. The main aquaculture species are Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) and Salmo trutta (trout). An average of 8,000 metric tons of coastal and marine capture fisheries valued at USD 4.1 Million is landed annually. This is mostly landed by the artisanal fishers whose fishing activities are restricted within the 0 – 3 nautical mile territorial waters, as these fishers are not sufficiently equipped to venture into the offshore fishing grounds. However, there is small fleet of semi-industrial bottom shrimp trawlers restricted to the only trawlable fishing grounds of the Malindi-Ungwana Bay. Kenya has an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which extends up to 200 nautical miles (nm) with a recent additional 150 nm. The EEZ remains under- exploited by the artisanal fishers and continue to be illegally exploited by the Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFN). This study was carried out to establish the current status of fisheries resources along the Kenyan coast and to evaluate the challenges facing the sub-sector. Shore-based catch assessment was used to determine species composition of catches and fisheries frame surveys (2004, 2008, and 2012) were used to determine the fishing effort (number of fishers and fishing vessels). Results of this study reveal that demersal group such as scavengers, rabbit fish, snappers and parrotfish dominate the marine catch, constituting 50 % of the total marine and coastal fish landings. Pelagic group including mullets, bonito, cavalla jacks, mackerel, king fish and sail fish accounted for 28%, and elasmobranchs, crustaceans and mollusks constituted the remaining 22%.
A study of common causes of mortality among Fishermen in Lake Victoria, Kenya
(African Journal of Health Science, 2018-10) Aloo, P.A; Opemo, D.O; Arudo, J.A; Mbithi, J.N
The fishing industry in Kenya plays an integral role in the socio-economic development of Kenya. However, the working environment of fishermen is characterized by a wide variety of occupational hazards and mortality attributed to work related diseases or accidents and injuries, which, are poorly reported. Most of the reported cases are in the formal sector, while the informal sector such as fishing, where most people are employed, are largely ignored. The objective of this study was to determine the causes of mortality and identify factors that influence mortality among fishermen in Lake Victoria. A two-year retrospective mortality survey using verbal autopsy was carried out among fishermen in eight riparian districts of Lake Victoria in Kenya. The study successfully followed up a total of 3058 deceased fishermen. The mean age at death was 33 years (SD: ± 9.5) and a median of 32 years ranging between 15 – 54 years. Peak mortality reported among fishermen aged 25 - 29 years (19.8%) and 30 – 34 years (19.3%) was comparable. The findings revealed that the major causes of death were HIV – related infections (33.8%) followed by drowning (14.3%), pulmonary tuberculosis (12.4%), and malaria (10.4%). Results of this study show that there is an urgent need to identify strategies that would prevent HIV – related infections and drowning among the fishing community.