Sustainable marine artisanal fisheries management program

 

Kenya’s marine fisheries have in the past received less attention. There are several challenges that face the Kenya’s marine fisheries and include amongst others:

 

• Destructive fishing
• Degradation from marine pollution
• Poor infrastructure
• Loss of fish landing sites and beach access routes
• Poor marketing 

 

This program has three main projects:.

Fish landing site infrastructure improvement

Many fish landing sites in the Kenyan coast have no fish landing infrastructure –fish depots locally known as bandas. This forces the fishermen to land their fish on bare ground with all the risks of contamination, spoilage and subsequent low prices. In partnership with the Fisheries Department, we have constructed five fish bandas and four community pit latrines at Likoni, Chale, Gazi, Shimoni and Ozi fish landing sites.

The main aims of the project are:

 

• Enhancing hygienic fish handling and general sanitation of the fish landing sites
• Centralizing fish dispatch to dealers and general activities of the fisher folk
• Providing storage facilities for the fish and fishing gears

 

Appropriate fishing gears and vessel project

 

Improved fish processing and marketing project

Fish processing is one of the challenges in artisanal fishing communities of the Kenyan coast. In areas with no electricity supply like the Tana Delta fish preservation is hampered especially in the glut period. Furthermore such areas have very poor transport systems. Fish spoilage which lead to heavy losses to the fisherman and fish dealer is often the case.  To compensate the loss, more fishing effort has to be put in the inshore fisheries leading to further degradation of the natural resource. Improving the processing to reduce the loss is thus necessary. We have developed two improved technologies that build on indigenous knowledge namely: Improved smoking and solar drying.

A pilot project was implemented at Ganzi fish landing site in Kenya’s south coast in 2005/06. Marketing of the fish product became a major challenge to overcome. The second project, funded by the Regional Program for Sustainable Management of the coastal zones of the Indian Ocean Countries (ReCoMap) is currently being implemented in Ozi and Kipini landing sites in Tana Delta District. Marketing is a major component of the project.

Improved smoking Kiln

 

• Has less fuel wood consumption
• Has faster smoking rate
• Has reduced cases of insect infection and reduced moisture content
• Use of herbal local addictive adds flavour
• Improve hygiene clean rack
• The heat is easier to control
• It produces better quality smoked fish-quality smoked fish
• There is reduced post harvest losses
• It is build on indigenous knowledge

 

 

 

Solar tunnel dyer

 

• Tap renewable solar energy
• Drying on cleaner rack improve on hygiene
• Heat is easily controlled-there is consistent mild steam
• Produces better quality dried fish
• Increased shelf life reduces post harvest losses
• There is reduced insect and moulds infection
• It is build on indigenous knowledge