Management Plan For Fisheries Targeting Small And Medium Sized Pelagic Fish.

This document lays down a sectoral plan applicable at the national level in matter of fisheries. Its overall purpose is to ensure that the artisanal fishery targeting small and medium sized pelagic fish in Kenya is sustainable in the long term, providing the maximum social and economic benefit to the fishers that depend on fishing for their livelihood.The artisanal fishery in Kenya is recognized as one of the most important contributors to the food security of coastal villages. Vision 2030 identifies fisheries alongside other food sectors and proposes value addition and use of modern fishing technology in the fisheries sector. However, the increase in fishing activity and a decrease in catches have necessitated an urgent intervention into the management of the resource, if optimal benefits are to be obtained. With respect to artisanal and sport fishery targeting small and medium sized pelagic fish, the general objectives of the Government of Kenya are: (i) to ensure long-term biological sustainability and ecological integrity of the pelagic fishery, (ii) to ensure development of a pelagic fishery that addresses community, national and regional concerns and interests, (iii) to optimize sustainable utilization and benefits from the pelagic fishery, (iv) to develop and improve governance of the pelagic fishery.
In order to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, it is expected that improved fishery management will have a significant impact on efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Kenya, and especially to reduce by half the proportion of the human population that suffers from hunger and malnutrition. The challenge is to ensure that those who depend on fish for food and livelihoods, particularly coastal and marine populations, continue to get these important benefits.
In order to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable, social and economic benefits of the fishery to the people of Kenya will be optimized. For this purpose, the Plan proposes the following interventions: (i) the substantive and effective data informed by agreed assessment and management practices, (ii) the gear used is appropriate and does not result in substantial damage to the ecosystem, (iii) the traditional knowledge is an integral component of management, (iv) to introduce effective rights based management, and (v) to integrate the management of traditional knowledge.
Regarding the reduction of rural poverty, the small and medium pelagic fishery management Plan is anchored on the National Oceans and Fisheries Policy 2008 whose overall objective is to enhance the fisheries sector’s contribution to wealth creation, increased employment for youth and women, food security, and revenue generation through effective private, public and community partnerships.
For increasing the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises, activities and programmes will be developed in order to fix the following issues: (i) effectively open access system for the capture of small and medium pelagic species, and concomitant lack of adequate management measures and effect on the ecosystem, (ii) patchiness of information necessary to understand both anthropogenic and fisher effects, (iii) damage to the reef systems, including use of chemicals, (iv) catch of juvenile fish: lack of gear restrictions, (v) climate related changes (general increase in water temperature and coral bleaching, algal blooms).
In the context of governance, the implementation of this Plan is a joint responsibility of the Kenyan Fisheries Department (FID), other relevant line ministries and agencies, research institutions, national fisheries projects, the resource users and other stakeholders of the fisheries sector. However, in keeping with its mandate, the FiD will regulate, promote, support and guide the implementation of the plan, through broad consultative processes with other stakeholders.