Exploitation of Coral Reef Fishes For the Marine Aquarium Trade in Kenya: a Preliminary Assessment - Final Technical Report Contract 19/2004
Kenya ranks among the top exporting countries in the marine aquarium trade within the Western Indian Ocean region. However the industry has received limited attention by way of research and monitoring despite being established in the mid 1970’s. Over time, there have been increased concerns about the environmental impacts of aquarium fish collection in Kenya resulting in resource use conflicts. A survey was conducted in 2005 with the aim of providing baseline quantitative information on the dynamics of the fishery. The survey evaluated trends in the harvest and export of marine ornamental fish in order to better understand the dynamics of the industry using available government statistics, logbook returns from a leading export company and airfreight data. Trends in key species harvested in Shimoni, their mortality rates and the catch per unit effort of fish collectors was further assessed. To assess impacts of fish collection in Shimoni, a rapid underwater fish census was conducted comparing fished and protected sites. Key findings of the study include the first time estimation of approximately 192 fish species that are harvested and exported from Kenya. Approximately 70% of the fish harvested from Shimoni during March 2004 to April 2005 belonged to 4 families namely Pomacentridae-damselfish, Labridae - wrasses, Acanthuridae- surgeonfish and Gobiidae-gobies. Ten species made up 58% of the catch, with the most harvested species for the trade being the anemonefish Amphiprion allardi (10%) and the angelfish Centropyge acanthops (9%). The aquarium fish collectors landed an average of 24 - 33 fish/ man/day. However differences were observed between divers and snorkellers. Results of the underwater census revealed differences in fish density, species richness and habitat characteristics between fished and protected sites, with fished sites having an overall higher density and abundance of target fish species and higher algal abundance. Among the key recommendations from the survey is the need to strengthen monitoring, to improve current regulatory mechanisms, and to promote strong stakeholder involvement in management of the fishery.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Report biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)
2006
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| Subjects: | Marine aquarium, Reef fish, Fisheries management, Harvest trends, Collection impacts, Species diversity, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/8990 |
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