The NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), along with funding from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), has committed USD 100,000 (EUR 76,618) each to a rock lobster fishery in Kenya and to Tanzania’s octopus fishery.
The funds are allocated for the implementation of Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIPs) that will align the fisheries reforms in the two countries with Marine Stewardship Council standards. NPCA will also provide funding to train staff in order to improve the technical capacity to conceptualize and implement necessary reforms.
The artisanal octopus fishery in Tanzania targets two main species, Octopus cyanea and O. vulgaris, both with significant economic value. The fishery experienced an increase in fishing pressure during the 1990s. A subsequent decline in the octopus stock has been linked to several on-going challenges, including overcapacity, overfishing, illegal fishing and habitat destruction.
In 2010 the fishery underwent a MSC pre-assessment and the information generated by it was used to develop the FIPs in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Fisheries Development Division and representatives of fishing communities. The FIP Action Plan identified several priority activities, including:
• Reviewing available stock data and conducting assessments on the current stock status;
• Undertaking spatial and temporal evaluations of Tanzanian octopus catches;
• Reviewing catch data and data capturing systems.
In Kenya, the rock lobster fishery comprises five species of tropical shallow-water spiny lobsters. The main target species is Panulirus ornatus, though P. homarus, P. longipes, P. versicolor and P. penicillatus are also caught.
The artisanal fishery employs harvesting methods including hand-collection; gillnets, diving with spears, bars, and stakes; trammel nets and traps. Lobsters are sold both domestically and exported mainly to markets in Asia and Middle Eastern countries.
The fishery underwent MSC pre-assessment and the information generated resulted in five priority projects:
• Estimation of leakages and proposing solutions for estimating the total mortality in the fishery;
• Refining stock assessment of the main target species, P. ornatus;
• Conducting spatial and temporal assessments of lobster catches;
• Development of a Lobster Fishery Management Plan;
• Development of a biological research program to obtain stock dynamics of lobster species.
“Small-scale and developing world fisheries should not be excluded from the environmental, market and food security benefits that are inherent in aligning with the MSC’s Standard,” said Martin Purves, MSC southern Africa program manager. “In many cases the challenges that hamper implementation of fisheries improvements are linked to financial constraints and relationships such as the one between the MSC and NEPAD are becoming increasingly important. We sincerely hope that both these fisheries are able to use this funding to good effect and that they will ultimately realize the benefits of the MSC program.”
