Ecological and socio-economic assessment of Kenyan coastal fisheries

Abstract

This study explores and describes the status of the fisheries resources in the Malindi-Ungwana Bay, Kenya. In addition to shrimp bottom trawling, the bay also supports a variety of artisanal fishing techniques with associated resource-use conflict experienced for quite some time until a ban on bottom trawling was imposed. This study therefore, focuses on a before and after the trawling ban effect on shrimp populations and finfish bycatch distribution and abundance, and the characterisation of artisanal finfish catches in terms of catch composition, catch-per-unit-effort, and mean trophic level by vessel-gear categories. Apart from providing the current status of exploitation level of the fisheries resources, the scientific information generated from this study is also useful for the revision of the shrimp fishery management plan that was formulated with inadequate scientific and background information during the six year bottom trawling ban in the bay.