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| Event History > GLOW III > Conference Program > Detailed Scientific Programme > Abstracts | |
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Malala, J.O. 1, J. Mugo1, G.M. Nyang'au1, J.E. Ojuok1, J. Mwamburi1, P.T. Obade1 & R. Kundu2 1Kenya Marine and Fisheries
Research Institute, Naivasha Station, P.O. Box 837, Naivasha,
Kenya. The fishery of Lake Naivasha, Kenya: its potential, threats and implication of the current management strategies Lake Naivasha, the second Ramsar designated wetland in Kenya, has a unique and fragile ecosystem. However the Lake's resources are faced with major conflicting demands from such sectors as agriculture, local councils, industry, fisheries, tourism and conservation. The fisheries which is among the major resource for the local community is based on three exotic species; Oreochromis leucostictus, Tilapia zilii and Micropterus salmoides (black bass) and a crustacean Procambarus clarkii (crayfish). The average composition of the catch between 1989 and 1999 was O leucostictus 57.5%, T. zilii 19.6%, M. salmoides 10.3% and P. clarkii 12.6%. The average annual catch since 1984 has been slightly over 200 metric tonnes with the variation over the years ranging from as low as 50 tonnes to over 600 tonnes. The fishery supports over 900 fishers (both registered and illegal) with over 3,000 dependants and about 300 fish traders with over 1000 dependants. The annual income generated from the fish landings has been varying between Ksh 2 million and 16 million for the last ten years. The major threats facing the lake's fishery include; Lake level fluctuations, over capacity, bad fishing practices and limited fisheries management resources which have led to the recent decline of fish stocks in the Lake. A complete ban on fishing activities has been in place since February 2001 to prevent complete collapse of this fishery. Preliminary results show that the Lake's fish production potential can be sustained by improving management strategies. The paper highlights some management problems from a historical perspective and recommends an integrated approach for sustainable utilisation of the Lake's resources. |