Trends in Fishing on Lake Naivasha and their Implications for Management.

Abstract

The study assessed trends in fishing and determined their implications to the management of Lake Naivasha fisheries. Data on fish catches and fishing effort from1999 to 2016 were compiled from daily records at four landing beaches (Central, Kamere, Karagita, and Tarambete). A catch assessment survey (CAS) and a socioeconomic survey were conducted at the beaches in 2018. Results showed that Lake Naivasha fishery is a male youth dominated occupation with males owning 69% of the boats. On average, 2.87 tons of fish were landed daily in all the beaches, with Karagita recording 1.07 tons followed by Kamere (0.8 tons), Central (0.6 tons) and Tarambete (0.4 tons). Karagita recorded the highest Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) at 35.8 kg/boat followed by Kamere (22.7), Central (17.3) and Tarambete (13.68). Oreochromis niloticus and Cyprinus carpio accounted for approximately 69% and 29% respectively of the total daily catches. At least 33 boats were recorded per beach on any given day making an average total of 133 boats for the whole lake. The increase in catch was attributed to increased fishing effort. The previous set out management guidelines for Lake Naivasha fishery should therefore be implemented and enforced.