Mosquito Net Use in an Artisanal East African Fishery

Widespread, anecdotal reports of the use of bed nets designed for malaria control (“mosquito nets”) in artisanal fisheries have led to concern from health and natural resource management sectors. However, mosquito net fishing (MNF) may play an important role in the livelihoods of artisanal fishers, an aspect not yet investigated. At a coastal Kenyan site among Giriama fishers, nearly half of homesteads interviewed used mosquito nets as fishing gear, targeting juvenile fish and prawns for subsistence and sale. The majority of mosquito net (MN) fishers here were men, suggesting that the assumption that MNF is a female activity is not valid in this case. However, MN use for fishing at this site is unlikely to impact malaria protection as fishers used old or surplus nets. Respondents perceived both positive aspects of MNF (e.g., food and income) and negative aspects (e.g., impact on fishery). As mosquito nets are widely available, they may enable new entrants to access fisheries. There is a critical need to review current management responses, which predominately focus on banning the practice, and instead promote integrated strategies for sustainable livelihoods

Bias introduced by the non-random movement of fish in visual transect surveys

Non-random movement has been observed in a number of reef fish species but its effect on visual counts has not been previously examined. A simulation program Reefex was used to examine the relationship between the speed and approach angle of fish, and the degree of bias introduced in estimates of fish numbers from visual transects. Fish approaching at right-angles to the direction of the transect did not introduce a bias regardless of their speed. Fish approaching against the diver introduced a positive bias which increased linearly with fish speed. Fish moving in the direction of the diver created a negative bias, fish counts decreased linearly until fish speed matched that of the diver. This minimum value reflected the immediately visible portion of the entire transect that could be surveyed instantaneously by the diver when the survey began. Changes in the effective area surveyed determine bias. An equation is presented which relates bias to fish speed, angle of approach, diver speed, transect length and visibility

Evaluating Kenya’s coastal gillnet fishery: trade-offs in recommended mesh-size regulations

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Evaluating Kenya’s coastal gillnet fishery: trade-offs in recommended mesh-size regulations

Gillnets are a widely used fishing gear in Kenya’s artisanal fisheries, yet their mesh sizes are inadequately monitored or regulated. This study evaluated the impacts of gillnets of seven stretched-mesh sizes, through comparative analysis of species-related metrics and catch per unit effort (CPUE), to inform Kenya’s small-scale fisheries regulations. Data were collected from June 2014 to May 2015. Three mesh-size groups were identified from catch composition data using non-metric multidimensional scaling and comprised small (1.3, 5.1 and 7.6 cm), medium (10.2 and 15.2 cm) and large (20.3 and 25.4 cm) mesh. The dominant species (and their mean lengths) that were caught in the small, medium and large mesh sizes, respectively, were whitespotted rabbitfish Siganus sutor (21.7 cm [SD 5.3]), mackerel tuna Euthynnus affinis (40.8 cm [SD 9.1]) and honeycomb stingray Himantura uarnak (87.3 cm [SD 37.4]). Values of length at first capture (L50) for S. sutor and E. affinis caught with the small and medium mesh sizes were below length at maturity (Lm). Catches of juveniles were proportionately high in the small meshes (61.3–74.2%) and lower in the medium (38.3–50.9%) and large (9.1–36.2%) mesh sizes. Catches with small mesh tended to be species categorised as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, in contrast to catches with large mesh which tended to be Near Threatened or Vulnerable species. Biomass CPUE differed between mesh-size groups, withthe small sizes recording low CPUE. The medium sizes caught mid- to high-trophic-level species with high-income returns, displayed moderate CPUE, and had the lowest juvenile retention and capture of threatened species. Medium mesh sizes are therefore recommended for artisanal fisheries, given low trade-offs between ecological impact and fishery returns. Keywords: adaptive co-management, artisanal fisheries, conservation status, juvenile capture, multispecies catches, size selectivity, small-scale fisherie

Fish and Macroinvertebrate Evaluation Methods

This chapter discusses the importance and need for evaluating fish and invertebrate faunas associated with artificial reefs, reviews the biotic and abiotic factors impacting the faunas, examines the criteria involved in designing relevant studies, and describes the methods (both destructive and nondestructive) used in assessing faunal assemblages. Terms employed in these studies are defined. This is followed by some actual and hypothetical examples relating to assessment studies. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future needs and directions in artificial reef research