Abstract
AbstractWidespread, 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.
Highlights
One million people are estimated to die of malaria each year, and malarial illness and mortality cost African economies USD 12 billion annually (RBM 2013)
Of the 51 homesteads surveyed at Mida Creek, 48 fished locally, half of which used a mosquito net for fishing
We found mosquito net fishing (MNF) to be locally common at Mida Creek, facilitated by health initiatives for continuous mass distribution of nets
Summary
One million people are estimated to die of malaria each year, and malarial illness and mortality cost African economies USD 12 billion annually (RBM 2013). With a large investment in this strategy, there is understandable concern that recipients should use nets as intended (Butunyi & Oloo 2008; Shah 2010), alternative use of old or surplus nets may have little impact on malaria protection (Eisele et al 2011). Resource managers are concerned about the ecological effects of using mosquito nets in fisheries relating to two main issues. Despite limited empirical evidence on the prevalence and ecological effects of mosquito net fishing (MNF), some east African countries have begun to enforce bans based on mesh-size legislation (Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries 1991; Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development 2003; Pereira et al 2014)
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