Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya
Bottom trawling is a common fishing method that targets bottom-dwelling fisheries resources. It is non-selective and large amounts of by-catch are discarded, raising serious sustainability and ecosystem conservation concerns. In this study, a shallow-water bottom-trawl fishery was evaluated using lo...
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/3/199 |
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| author | Esther N. Fondo Johnstone O. Omukoto Nina Wambiji Gladys M. Okemwa Pascal Thoya George W. Maina Edward N. Kimani |
| author_facet | Esther N. Fondo Johnstone O. Omukoto Nina Wambiji Gladys M. Okemwa Pascal Thoya George W. Maina Edward N. Kimani |
| author_sort | Esther N. Fondo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bottom trawling is a common fishing method that targets bottom-dwelling fisheries resources. It is non-selective and large amounts of by-catch are discarded, raising serious sustainability and ecosystem conservation concerns. In this study, a shallow-water bottom-trawl fishery was evaluated using logbook catch data between 2011 and 2019 and the species composition data collected by fisheries observers between 2016 and 2019. The logbook data showed a twenty-fold increase in the annual catches with a ten-fold increase in fishing effort and an increase in the proportion of retained catch from 2011 to 2019. The observer data showed that for prawn, the by-catch ratio ranged from 1:3 to 1:9 during the four years. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences between the compositions of retained and discarded catches mainly attributed to <i>Pellona ditchela</i>, <i>Nematopalaemon</i><i>tenuipes,</i> and <i>Secutor insidiator.</i> There was no significant decline in species diversity and the trophic level of the catches over the 4-year observer period indicating no marked impact of trawling on the stock at the current level of fishing effort. This study provides baseline information on the prawn trawl fishery against which the performance of the management regulations may be evaluated towards the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:56:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8dd3e4ecdb18491fa75c50071c01099d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:56:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj.art-8dd3e4ecdb18491fa75c50071c01099d2023-11-24T00:57:30ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-03-0114319910.3390/d14030199Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, KenyaEsther N. Fondo0Johnstone O. Omukoto1Nina Wambiji2Gladys M. Okemwa3Pascal Thoya4George W. Maina5Edward N. Kimani6Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa P.O. Box 81651-80100, KenyaKenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa P.O. Box 81651-80100, KenyaKenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa P.O. Box 81651-80100, KenyaKenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa P.O. Box 81651-80100, KenyaKenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa P.O. Box 81651-80100, KenyaThe Nature Conservancy, Africa Regional Office, Nairobi P.O. Box 19738-00100, KenyaKenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Mombasa P.O. Box 81651-80100, KenyaBottom trawling is a common fishing method that targets bottom-dwelling fisheries resources. It is non-selective and large amounts of by-catch are discarded, raising serious sustainability and ecosystem conservation concerns. In this study, a shallow-water bottom-trawl fishery was evaluated using logbook catch data between 2011 and 2019 and the species composition data collected by fisheries observers between 2016 and 2019. The logbook data showed a twenty-fold increase in the annual catches with a ten-fold increase in fishing effort and an increase in the proportion of retained catch from 2011 to 2019. The observer data showed that for prawn, the by-catch ratio ranged from 1:3 to 1:9 during the four years. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences between the compositions of retained and discarded catches mainly attributed to <i>Pellona ditchela</i>, <i>Nematopalaemon</i><i>tenuipes,</i> and <i>Secutor insidiator.</i> There was no significant decline in species diversity and the trophic level of the catches over the 4-year observer period indicating no marked impact of trawling on the stock at the current level of fishing effort. This study provides baseline information on the prawn trawl fishery against which the performance of the management regulations may be evaluated towards the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries management.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/3/199shell-fishfishby-catchdiscardsspecies composition |
| spellingShingle | Esther N. Fondo Johnstone O. Omukoto Nina Wambiji Gladys M. Okemwa Pascal Thoya George W. Maina Edward N. Kimani Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya Diversity shell-fish fish by-catch discards species composition |
| title | Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya |
| title_full | Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya |
| title_short | Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya |
| title_sort | diversity of shallow water species in prawn trawling a case study of malindi ungwana bay kenya |
| topic | shell-fish fish by-catch discards species composition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/3/199 |
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