Coastal and mangrove economic valuation associated fisheries and problems in Kwale County, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract. Ahmed HA, Mwaura F, Thenya T, Kairo JG. 2022. Coastal and mangrove economic valuation associated fisheries and problems in Kwale County, Kenya. Indo Pac J Ocean Life 6: 17-27. The coastal fisheries in Kenya are essential to the livelihoods of the coastal communities. They provide employment, income, and food and support other auxiliary industries. Despite the socio-economic importance of coastal fisheries, various anthropogenic and climate change impact threatened their existence. Fish habitats, including mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses, are threatened by human activities such as aquaculture, mangrove extraction, unplanned expansion of coastal cities, and marine pollution. Usually, coastal fisheries are also neglected in key policy-making agendas. That is attributed to inadequate information and a lack of data on the socio-economic contribution of coastal communities engaged in fisheries. This study aimed to estimate the economic value to provide crucial information for policy making of mangrove ecosystem-based coastal fisheries in Kwale County. The study also attempted to establish the coastal fishery production trend for the past decade, to estimate the economic value of mangrove ecosystems to fishery production, and the future of coastal fisheries projecting based on Climate Compatible Development (CCD) and Business As Usual (BAU) scenarios. Combining the primary data from interviews with 242 respondents with secondary data, including a decade of fish catch data, were analyzed, which exhibited a continuous increase from 1,908 tonnes in 2004 to 2,450 tonnes in 2013 coastal fisheries production. The coastal fisheries value was estimated to be Ksh.182 million (US$ 2.2) annually after deducting all fishing-related costs in 2013. This study also estimated that mangrove ecosystems could support the production of 160kg/ha/year, comprable to Ksh.11,610/ha/year (US$ 198/ha/year). Moreover, the estimated values could be much higher than the calculated ones because a considerable amount of fish caught is unrecorded. The future projections reveal that the scenario of Business As Usual (BAU) is not sustainable. Hence, the study demands a shift to the scenario of Climate Compatible Development (CCD), which incorporates mitigation measures, climate change adaptation, and investment in infrastructure. The study recommends reviewing the existing fishery policies regarding the unique characteristics of coastal fisheries to ensure sustainable exploitation and address the challenges. The research also recommends further economic studies on the coastal fisheries value chain.