Transport

Plan to seal fishing data gaps

rova

Underwater camera best known as ROVA. PHOTO | MAZERA NDURYA

Lack of accurate data on the Coastal fisheries’ potential in the Indian Ocean has reduced Kenya territorial waters to a fishing ground for foreign vessels, which rake in billions of dollars from the territorial waters.

However Kenyan scientists now want to change this. In a move aimed at fully utilising the fisheries resources within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Kenyan scientists have embarked on a research expedition using modern equipment to come up with data and information that would help guide policy to safeguard and help harness the resource better.

Obtaining watertight data would be a huge milestone for the fishing industry. President Uhuru Kenyatta while launching the Coast Guard Service in Mombasa last year noted that the country loses over Sh10 billion annually through illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUUs) fishing.

“For too long we have experienced multiple problems with marine security including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by foreign trawlers, smuggling of contraband goods, degradation of marine ecosystems through discharge of oil, toxic waste dumping and the destruction of coral reefs and coastal forests,” said the President.

He noted that apart from illegal fishing, the country and the region faces other security concerns such as drug and human trafficking, and trans-shipment of illegal arms which come in through the sea because of lack of proper surveillance mechanisms.

“The Kenya Coast Guard Service will ensure that our ocean will no longer be used by drug and human traffickers, illegal arms dealers and illegal fishing vessels. It will guard against exploitation of our natural resources by foreign countries and ensure that never again will a foreign vessel steal our fish,” he said.

Saying the ocean is the emerging frontier for economic and social transformation of sea-facing states, Mr Kenyatta reiterated that Kenya was well positioned to emulate other countries that had excelled in the utilisation of maritime resources.

“Our coastal and inland waters cover 222,950 square kilometres, equivalent to 31 counties; of the global tuna catch of 4.35 million metric tonnes — worth about $2-3 billion annually — one quarter is caught off Kenya’s coastline,” said the President.

The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) says overfishing in shallow waters by local artisanal fishermen has led to a significant drop in the resources.

With the Kenyan government’s plans to shore up revenue generated from fisheries, the Coastal fishing zone has been identified as an important emerging sector that is expected to spur economic growth for the local communities. “Artisanal fishers have depleted fish catches in narrow waters and are now advancing towards the North Kenyan banks which is largely unexploited in search for fish,” said KMFRI’s Assistant Director Oceanography and Hydrography Dr Joseph Kamau.

“Sustainable exploitation of blue resources is the main focus of the blue economy initiative aimed at raising the marine fisheries worth from the current Sh2.6 billion to over Sh100 billion.”

KMFRI with the support from the Belgium Government has noe taken the lead in ensuring that the fishing sector has the necessary data that will help guide use of the resources. The research institute has introduced modern research vessel RV Mtafiti that will gather the much needed data on fish density and their locations.

RV Mtafiti, formerly “RV Zeeleuw” was donated by the Belgium Government to the Kenyan Government in 2013. It is 56m long with capacity for 47 crew and scientists.

Dr Kamau said the research expedition starts this month through to March this year with a focus on the Northern Coast where KMFRI plans to deploy a number of sophisticated marine research equipment for the exercise.

The participating scientists are upbeat that research findings which will be packaged in policy briefs and provide data will enable the government invest more in the fisheries sector.

Dr Kamau said the vessel presents a unique platform of opportunity to see fascinating species including marine mammals, sea turtles and sea birds, information that give new insights into the offshore distribution of fish stocks.

“Such information may also help to identify the areas where interactions with fishing activities are likely to occur,” said the researcher.

On January 27, 2014, Mr Kenyatta opened a new frontier in advancing the country's agenda towards harnessing the blue economy when he launched and commissioned RV Mtafiti.

RV Mtafiti has on board state-of-the-art oceanographic equipment. Key among these are two that employ sonar to determine fish stocks and ocean currents.

The fitted sonar equipment provides information on the fish stocks, their abundance biomass and specific location.

“The equipment is able to identify the specific commercial fishery (e.g tuna fishery) and quantify the stocks. The obtained information is synthesised and an economic value placed on the fishery, and the State Department of Fisheries is thereby properly guided on licensing of fishers, and consequently charge fees commensurate to fish stock in a given location, which avoids undercutting,” he said.

This equipment has provided information to enhance an understanding of the about 6 million tonnes of sediment that flows through the Tana River consistently replenishing the productivity of the North Kenya bank.

An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) provides specific information on oceanic current and data obtained helps to model water flow and predict location of productive zones.

A highlight on RV Mtafiti findings reveal that territorial waters have a fish biomass ( total weight or volume of a fish stock) of about 200,000 tonnes worth about Sh15 billion at 20 percent exploitation, while the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters have a fish stock of about two million tonnes, worth about Ksh100 billion at 20 percent exploitation.

The data generated through the surveys is also handy in assessing fish production trends to aid decision-making by management in formulating policies aimed at enhancing sustainability of the sector.

Using data obtained, KMFRI provides spatial and temporal fish stocks distribution patterns in the Kenyan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and territorial waters. Further, data generated is disseminated to local fisher communities and other stakeholders to empower them.

One of the challenges that has over the years constrained the capacity of the local fishermen is the limited infrastructure for the marine fisheries sector with fishermen employing very rudimentary gear. This means that they can only fish in near-shore waters, which in turn hampers their ability to catch adequate fish.

Dr Kamau adds that other types of data being sought include water salinity, temperature, chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen and PH.

Analysis of this data will be critical in establishing the health status of the ecosystem and fisheries productivity in the North Kenya banks.

Analysts have hailed the availability of the modern research vessel and the recent launching of the Kenya Coast Guard Service as a step in the right direction in combating illegal fishing and managing fishery resources.