Socio-economic and ecological determinants in wetland fisheries in the Yala Swamp

Abstract

Wetland fisheries provide a fundamental economic activities for wetland populations and surrounding population centres. In the Yala swamp, on the Kenyan coast of Lake Victoria, fishing is among the most important income earning activities for the local community, with average incomes nearly four times those attainable in agriculture. The fishery is also regarded as the highest supplier of animal protein in the area. In the present analysis, we examine the determinants of fish catch levels in the Yala swamp using socio-economics, ecological, and fish catch data from of ten landing beaches within Yala swamp and along the shores of Lake Victoria. Descriptive statistics were used to understand the socio-economics characteristics of fishers who utilize the Yala swamp system. A Cobb–Douglas production function was used to establish the factors that influence fish catch levels. The results show that household size, household income, length of boat, total phosphorus and total nitrogen are correlated positively with fish catch. Negative correlations with the level of nitrates, chlorophyll-a, and educational level and age of the fisher were also found. The challenge for policy makers regarding wetland fisheries is how to involve the local fishermen in the sustainable management of fishery resources within the integrated management of all the wetland resources.