Fish catch composition of artisanal and bottom trawl fisheries in Malindi-Ungwana Bay, Kenya: a cause for conflict?

Abstract

Artisanal and shrimp bottom trawl fisheries in Ungwana Bay compete for fish resources and this has resulted in unresolved conflict over several decades. Landings of artisanal fishers (2009-2011) and bottom trawl catches (2011) were sampled to compare fish species composition and abundance according to area (inshore; offshore) and season (northeast monsoon - NEM, southeast monsoon - SEM) and identify the species contributing most to catch overlap. The diversity of fish catches was greater in trawl (223 species) than artisanal samples (177) in both seasons. The diversity and catch rates were greater in artisanal samples during the NEM, when most fishing occurs. The diversity was greater in trawl samples during the SEM, when productivity is higher. The offshore trawl catch composition differed from the inshore trawl and artisanal samples; the shared species in the latter two categories were Galeichthys feliceps, Pellona ditchela, Johnius amblycephalus, Leiognathus equulus, Pomadasys maculatus, Lobotes surinamensis and Otolithes ruber. Trawl samples contained smaller-sized fish of the shared species than artisanal samples. A management plan (2010) bans trawling closer than three nautical miles from the coast, and introduces closed fishing seasons and gear modifications, but has not been fully implemented. The artisanal fishery is expected to grow and active management is crucial to reduce resource user conflict.