Mollusc shell fisheries in coastal Kenya: Local ecological knowledge reveals overfishing
Victor Mwakha Alati
Jibril Olunga
Mike Olendo
Lillian Nduku Daudi
Kennedy Osuka
Cyprian Odoli
Paul Tuda
Lina Mtwana Nordlund
Abstract
There is limited documentation on the status and dynamics of fished marine shelled mollusc species in many countries. Some of the challenges are due to obscure documentation of species, extensive unregulated and unrecorded fishing and unawareness of drivers behind declining stocks. The lack of understanding makes it difficult to formulate effective management plans. Here, we assess the fishers’ perceptions on changes in abundance of targeted marine shelled mollusc species and status of associated fished habitats. We interviewed 132 marine shelled mollusc gleaners (fishing by walking) at five sites in coastal Kenya. We established that a multispecies marine shelled mollusc fishery is present in Kenya and that this fishery is conducted by both women and men. We distinguished 158 different shelled mollusc species being targeted. The gleaners perceived a temporal decline of gleaned species. The main causes for the decline were perceived to be overfishing of shells, elevated sea-surface temperature and habitat destruction. The more experienced gleaners perceived a greater decline indicating a baseline shift in perceptions. Our findings suggest that local ecological knowledge is useful to understand historic changes in fisheries lacking long-term scientific data. Furthermore, it highlights the potential benefits of a collaboration between ecologists and gleaners to improve our understanding of the status and dynamics of fishing of marine shelled molluscs as well as other types of fishing.
Alati V.M., Olunga J., Olendo M., Daudi L.N., Osuka K., Odoli C., Tuda P. and Nordlund L.M. (2020) Mollusc shell fisheries in coastal Kenya: Local ecological knowledge reveals overfishing. 195: 105285. 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105285
@article{Alati2020,
Title = {Mollusc shell fisheries in coastal Kenya: Local ecological knowledge reveals overfishing},
Author = {Alati, Victor Mwakha and Olunga, Jibril and Olendo, Mike and Daudi, Lillian Nduku and Osuka, Kennedy and Odoli, Cyprian and Tuda, Paul and Nordlund, Lina Mtwana},
Editor = {},
Year = {2020},
Pages = {105285},
Volume = {195},
Doi = {10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105285},
Abstract = {There is limited documentation on the status and dynamics of fished marine shelled mollusc species in many countries. Some of the challenges are due to obscure documentation of species, extensive unregulated and unrecorded fishing and unawareness of drivers behind declining stocks. The lack of understanding makes it difficult to formulate effective management plans. Here, we assess the fishers’ perceptions on changes in abundance of targeted marine shelled mollusc species and status of associated fished habitats. We interviewed 132 marine shelled mollusc gleaners (fishing by walking) at five sites in coastal Kenya. We established that a multispecies marine shelled mollusc fishery is present in Kenya and that this fishery is conducted by both women and men. We distinguished 158 different shelled mollusc species being targeted. The gleaners perceived a temporal decline of gleaned species. The main causes for the decline were perceived to be overfishing of shells, elevated sea-surface temperature and habitat destruction. The more experienced gleaners perceived a greater decline indicating a baseline shift in perceptions. Our findings suggest that local ecological knowledge is useful to understand historic changes in fisheries lacking long-term scientific data. Furthermore, it highlights the potential benefits of a collaboration between ecologists and gleaners to improve our understanding of the status and dynamics of fishing of marine shelled molluscs as well as other types of fishing.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Alati, Victor Mwakha
AU - Olunga, Jibril
AU - Olendo, Mike
AU - Daudi, Lillian Nduku
AU - Osuka, Kennedy
AU - Odoli, Cyprian
AU - Tuda, Paul
AU - Nordlund, Lina Mtwana
TI - Mollusc shell fisheries in coastal Kenya: Local ecological knowledge reveals overfishing
PY - 2020
SP - 105285
VL - 195
DO - 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105285
AB - There is limited documentation on the status and dynamics of fished marine shelled mollusc species in many countries. Some of the challenges are due to obscure documentation of species, extensive unregulated and unrecorded fishing and unawareness of drivers behind declining stocks. The lack of understanding makes it difficult to formulate effective management plans. Here, we assess the fishers’ perceptions on changes in abundance of targeted marine shelled mollusc species and status of associated fished habitats. We interviewed 132 marine shelled mollusc gleaners (fishing by walking) at five sites in coastal Kenya. We established that a multispecies marine shelled mollusc fishery is present in Kenya and that this fishery is conducted by both women and men. We distinguished 158 different shelled mollusc species being targeted. The gleaners perceived a temporal decline of gleaned species. The main causes for the decline were perceived to be overfishing of shells, elevated sea-surface temperature and habitat destruction. The more experienced gleaners perceived a greater decline indicating a baseline shift in perceptions. Our findings suggest that local ecological knowledge is useful to understand historic changes in fisheries lacking long-term scientific data. Furthermore, it highlights the potential benefits of a collaboration between ecologists and gleaners to improve our understanding of the status and dynamics of fishing of marine shelled molluscs as well as other types of fishing.
ER -
