Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management
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Item Difficulties of fishing at Lake Naivasha, Kenya: is community participation in management the solution?(Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, 2010) Muchiri, Mucai; Njiru, James Murithi; Ojuok, Jacob E.; Aura, Christopher Mulanda; Kundu, RodrickItem The status and future of the Lake Naivasha fishery, Kenya(Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002) Muchiri, Mucai; Kundu, Rodrick; Taylor, Andy; North, Rick; Harper, David M.; Bailey, Roland; Hickley, PhilLake Naivasha is a freshwater lake situated in the eastern rift valley of Kenya. Only five species of fish are present, all of which have been introduced. They are Oreochromis leucostictus, Tilapia zillii, Micropterus salmoides (largemouth bass), Barbus amphigramma and Poecilia reticulata (guppy). The first three of these form the basis of an important gill net fishery and bass are also taken by rod and line for sport. Barbus are occasionally caught by dip net. Actual and potential yields for the Lake Naivasha fishery are discussed and the fishery is shown to be under-performing. The feeding regimes of the commercially exploited fish were examined in the context of available food supply, in particular the benthic fauna. Small bass depend heavily on Micronecta and large bass mostly take crayfish. Detritus predominates in the diet of Oreochromis leucostictus and Tilapia zillii but the former also eats algae and the latter, Micronecta and macrophyte. Various food resources, especially the benthos, appear to be under-utilized and so it is possible that further species could be introduced to enhance the commercial fishery.Item Difficulties of fishing at Lake Naivasha, Kenya: is community participation in management the solution?(2010) Muchiri, Mucai; Aura, Christopher Mulanda; Kundu, Rodrick; Njiru, James Murithi; Ojuok, Jacob E.Unlike other lakes in tropical regions, Lake Naivasha exhibits low fish species diversity. The fishery is based on introduced fish species that are not native to the lake. The lake ecosystem is very fragile, as reflected in its fluctuating fish catches. The fishery almost completely collapsed in 2001, due partly to mismanagement and ignorance about needed conservation measures. The Kenyan government, like many governments around the world, recognized the need to involve fishers and other stakeholders, in order to ensure better management of the lake fisheries resources. Also referred to as collaborative management (co-management), this management approach provides the opportunity to share responsibility for managing the fishery resources between the government and the community. A total ban on fishing was imposed in February 2001, lasting for 1 year, to allow lake fish stocks to recover. This study analyses the co-management process for Lake Naivasha, and discusses the role played by the community during the fishing ban, as well as the successes and challenges encountered, and the tribulations and perceptions of the fishers regarding the new management strategy. It also comprises the first documentation of community participation in fisheries management begun for Lake Naivasha in the year 2001.