Review and assessment of biodiversity values and conservation priorities along the Tana Delta - Pate Island coast of northern Kenya.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to review and assess the biodiversity values and identify priority areas for conservation intervention along the Tana-Pate coast of northern Kenya. The study was done through a review of literature and a 10 day field survey in January-February 2011 to qualitatively validate the literature review. We also consulted key informants from organisations with a history of working in the area and community members on their perceptions of biodiversity values and their socio-economic importance and what they felt were conservation priorities and concerns. This area of Kenya has a rich cultural history of the Swahili /Omani sultanates, as seen in the numerous ruins dating back to the 10th Century. Biodiversity values on this northern coastline of Kenya can be summarised into three unique areas of marine and coastal habitats: i) the vast Tana Delta with diverse and contiguous habitats from fresh to marine waters, including mangroves, beaches which extend for almost 100 km, and dunes supporting a wide range of fauna and flora and several endangered or threatened species including sharks. The Delta extends into the productive (nutrient rich) Ungwana Bay and the offshore North Kenya Bank which probably support the most valuable offshore fisheries in Kenya, though data are scant; ii) the Ziwaiyu-Pate- Kiunga coral reef system which occurs at the convergence of the East Africa Coastal Current (EACC) and the Somali current, which is a cold upwelling, bringing its own unique mix of coral and fish species which combine Arabian Gulf with East African species, including rare and endemic corals not seen elsewhere in East Africa; iii) one of the largest stands of mangrove forests in East Africa representing 60% of Kenya’s mangroves and hosting Heriteria litoralis which is only found in the Tana Delta and the Rufiji Delta in Tanzania. This region contains one of the last remaining populations of dugong (Dugong dugon) in East Africa; and extensive turtle nesting beaches for four endangered turtles: Hawksbill, Green, Loggerhead and Leatherback. The Tana Delta, the associated mangroves and the nutrient rich colder Somali current combine to create rich and productive waters supporting valuable fisheries in Ungwana Bay and the offshore North Kenya Banks. There are many threats to the conservation and management of the area which can be summed up as: poor governance, a sectoral approach to resource management, a lack of community access and participation in decision making, lack of access to environmental information for local communities, lack of legal remedy and land tenure insecurity. Consequently the management of the coastal and marine environment in this area is piecemeal and inadequate. The proposed Lamu Port in the channel between Manda and Pate islands will have severe environmental consequences.