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Fisheries data collection in Kenya has been undertaken using the routine data collection by the Beach Management Units (BMUs) while the fisheries personnel have been using the Catch Assessment Survey (CAS) sampling. Sampling is undertaken in selected landing sites in ten days a month depending on the lunar calendar. The sampled data is later raised to total using the frame survey data that captures the total fishing effort in all the marine landing sites. While routine data is supposed to be collected from all the fishing crafts, this however has not been possible. The two datasets when compared together were found to differ during some periods of the year. This led to the need to undertake a dedicated survey for the period that the datasets tended to vary. From July 2024 to June 2025, a dedicated survey was conducted and gave an indication of what could have been the main cause of this disparity. While the raising factor for the Catch Assessment Survey was based on the main target species reported during the 2024 frame survey where 17% of the vessels targeted tuna and tuna-like species, a change in targeting was noted during the peak tuna and tuna-like seasons. The dedicated survey showed that the tuna and tuna-like species targeting increased to between 30% and 50% of the vessels depending on the area sampled. The same is being undertaken again this year to validate the findings of the first dedicated data collection.
