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This paper looks at data collection approach adopted towards improving data collection and reporting and the status to date. The use of catch assessment survey (CAS) was piloted from 2016-2023 with aim to strengthen the monitoring plans for tuna species and improve Small Scale tuna data collection. Catch Assessment Survey was adopted as an approach to support improvement of data collection and monitoring and to strengthen co-management of nearshore fisheries. In 2022 CAS was conducted in thirty-three (36) landing sites by trained of data enumerators from different institutions and Beach Management Units (BMU). The CAS was implemented following the harmonized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and CAS manual.
A total of 136 families were recorded during the CAS in 2022 with an estimated weight ≈35,596MT, against data reported at county levels of approximately 9000MT. Landings of tunas from Small Scale fishers were 6,160 tons in 2022 which is a sharp increase compared to 1,953 tons and 1,613 tons in 2020 and 2021.
The variations in monthly landings depicted normal seasonal trends with high catches recorded in November-March compared to that April to October predicting highly temporal variations in the fishing seasons along the coast.
The most dominant families were Scombridae (Tuna & tuna-like) and the highest length classes caught Thunnus albacores (80–100 cm, TL), T. obesus (75–85 cm, TL), E. affinis ranged (57.5–62.5, TL). The use of monofilament which also catch sharks and rays need further monitoring and regulation of gill net mesh size is key towards sustaining the fishery.
The sampling frame should be timely updated to reflects the reality on the ground; often there are changes in the number and distribution of fishing units per gear-type (movement/migration) in small-scale fisheries. Thus, need to monitor boats migration and changes in fishing gears/changes in the fishing pattern and the fishery structure. Strengthens and enforcement on logbook data collection for semi-industrial vessels has been planned to capture the individual fisher catch reports and reporting at species level.
In this paper we report on a fishery catch data collection program and key findings of the Catch assessment surveys (CAS) conducted in year 2022 and monitoring of small-scale data catch log sheets conducted by Kenya in the small- scale marine coastal fisheries. The objective is to demonstrate the value and opportunities of a collaborative data collection and monitoring approach between managers, fishers and scientists.
