Restoring habitats, improving fish stocks and boosting incomes
llegal dragnetting is widespread in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean, destroying coral reefs and seagrass while causing indiscriminate fish catch, which has led to low fish stocks and unsustainable livelihoods for fishers and processors. Despite being illegal, enforcement is limited, creating inequities where dragnet users benefit quickly while legal fishers struggle due to depleted stocks.
The KAMAMKUKI Joint Co-Management Area (JCMA) includes five fishing communities that collectively co-manage 25 km² of nearshore habitat, where dragnetting remains a challenge. The project aims to improve ocean health and livelihood sustainability across five Beach Management Units in (BMUs) by reducing illegal dragnetting, building skills and enabling new, diversified income-generating opportunities for women, youth, people living with disabilities and fishers.
25 peer trainers – including local leaders, fishers, women, and youth – will train 200 fishing community members and work with 450 people to collectively develop a locally-driven action plan to reduce dragnetting and improve social equity in the fisheries value chain. The project will also partner with Fisheries Departments to provide incentives for fishers and fish vendors through income-generating projects and support for monitoring, control, and surveillance. By reducing dragnet use, the project will restore habitats, improve fish stocks, boost incomes, and serve as a model for local, national, and regional replication.
A total of 695 Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), including 31% women and their households (4,164 people) are projected to benefit from improved ecosystems and fisheries. All trainees are members of IPLCs with 25 peer trainers (40% women) training 200 community members, half of which are women while 50 livelihood trainees will include 80% youth and 20% people living with disabilities.
