GOVERNMENT OF KENYA

REPORT ON KENYA FISHERIES

1963 ~ .... o. t:.

Three Shillings - 1964

.. REPORT ON

IŒNY A FISHERIES 1963

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REPORT ON KENYA FISHERIES, 1963 INTRODUCTION

The tota'l production of fish and other marine produce by the Kenya fishing industry in 1963 amounted to 19,691 tons va1lued to the fishermen at ;[1,096,750, an average of f55 12s. per ton or 49.6 cents per pound.

As a result of the implementation of recommendations outlined in the Report of the Economy Commission, al! staff operating on Lake Victoria and elsewhere in Nyanza Region had to ·be discharged or transferred, and the station was c!losed down at the end of June 1963. The area is still the ·largest single producer of fish in Kenya, and catches were we1ll maintained. Total landings from the Kenya waters of Lake Victoria were 11,641 tons worth f713,952.

The Domestic Fish Pond Scheme has continued to gain in popularity both in Nyanza and Western Regions, but since Ju1ly no staff have tbeen avai•lable: to supervise development in Nyanza. In .Western Region the scheme is operated by a Fisheries Officer assisted by a nurnber of subordinate staff. A tota:J of 7,745 ponds were fished by departmental staff during the year, resulting in a catch of 64.2 tons of fish. Taking into consideration the catch of pond owner's now fishing their ponds independently, the tota-l yield is estimated to be in excess of 100 tons.

Work has continued at Ferguson's Gulf and Lake Rudolf throughout the year. Marketing difficulties continue to limit production, but even so the 1963 catch rose sharply to 1,270 tons for which sorne 300 fishermen received f5,715. Crocodile contro11 in the area of fishing development is 'being carried out by the Fisheries Officer, and is a valuab1e additional source of revenue for the district.

The Fish Culture Farm at Sagana Station distributed a tota•l of 21,632 finger­lings for stocking dams and ponds elsewhere in the country. The research pro­gramme on pmblems connected with the pond culture of Tilapia, Black Bass and other species has continued.

The production of Rainbow and Brown Trout fingerlings at the Kabaru Trout · Hatchery for distribution total'led 141,742. AN these were stocked into public, private and angling association rivers ·but in addition a few thousand fish were retained, as usual!, for breeding purpose·s.

The estimated production of sea fish on the Kenya coast was 4,189 tons va'lued at f234,584. This was nearly 1,000 tons .Jess than the record catch in 1962 and resulted from prolonged adverse weather and climatic 'conditions which reduced the fishing effort. (

The new Malindi Fish Market was officialily opened in June 1963 ·and has a11ready resulted in fishermen receiving much fairer priees for their catch. The qua!lity of fish marketed through Malindi has a'lso improved considerably in consequence.

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The Loans Fund for Fishermen at the Coast had to be frozen at the. end of .the year 'beèause of the .'large num'ber of defaulters. Out of a. total} of 79 'aoans, 56 were in serio~s arrears by.the end of December. .

The 'big game fishing indi.Istry had another go'od year iri i91i3, sailflsh ànd rna~lin ·beipg especially .numero.us, :;tnd seyeral.re.cords :were broken. ~e Oyster . B,ay /Watamu Fish ~~serve, another asset to the tourist, industry,. ·has .Proyed an ;C!Utst11:n<!iqg. suçqess and, more su ch J;eserves. are p!anned,. .,

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STAFF

The Economy Commission recommendations resulted in the abolition of two posts of Fisheries Officer and a reduction in the establishment of junior grades by 23 posts. The six Fisheries Officers who remain are bawly sufficient to maintain service's at the existing leve!, even al'lowing for the closure of the Lake Victoria Station, and this ilimits the ability of the 'Department to carry out additionaq work so necessary for the development of the fishing industry.

The Chief Fisheries Officer and Provincial Fisheries Officer (Coast) went on overseas leave during the year, and as this added to the staffing difficulties it was perhaps fortunate that, at the request of the Israel Government, a course which had been arranged for three other members of the Department in Israel was postponed.

Whilst on leave in England the Chief Fisheries Officer attended the Second World Fishing Gear Congress which was convened by the Food and Agricu'ltura'l Organization of the United Nations. More than 600 delegates from aU oveif the worlld attended this Congress and it provided an invalua,ble opportunity to compare notes on pwblems affecting the use of fishing gear.

In October the Chief Fisheries Officer attended a Congress in Rome on the "Nutritional Aspects of Fish Production", which was organized by the Italian Institute for Africa. Other delegates attending this Congress came from a number of North, West and East African countries. Captain W. A. Wi'lkinson and Mr. R. A. Mendhry, Fisheries Officers at the Coast, attended an F.A.O. Seminar on Fishery Devellopment Planning and Administration in Ghana from 8th to 27th July 1963. This Seminar was a'lso attended ·by delegates from a number of African countries and so ena'bled valualble contacts to be made.

Ninety-eight Honorary Fish Wardens were on the register at the end of 1963, and once again the Department must record its thanks to them for the many ways in which thery have been of assistance to us, not only in contwl of the Trout Fisheries but in other fields as well.

REPORT ON THE INLAND FISHERIES OF WESTERN REGION

From January to June 1963 the Fisheries Officer in charge of the Domestic Fish Pond Scheme in the former Nyanza Province supervised pond development work throughout the area. The implementation of the Economy Commission report at the beginning of July deprived him of aH staff in Central! and South Nyanza and he has since had to concentrate his efforts in the area now known as Western Region.

Sufficient ponds have now been constructed for it to be no longer necessary to arrange barazas solely for the purpose of pulblicizing 'the scheme. Most farmers are now able to see, for themselves the advantages to be gained. Emphasis has been placed therefore on demonstrations to show farmers how to make the most of the ponds they a'lready have. The Fisheries Officer and his staff hold regular meetings at vi'llage and sublocational :Jevels, where the menfo1lk are shown the best methods of fishing the ponds, feeding the fish ,and pond maintenance, and at the same time cookery demonstrations are given to their wi.ves so as to ensure that the catch is not wasted through faulty preparation or 'bad cooking.

Evl!lry effort is made to encourage farmers to fish their ponds themselves and to purchase their oWn nets, and the Fisheries Department assists in this by acting as agent. The nets are purchased and mounted ready for use lby departmental staff

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and then handed to the farmer on a repayment basis. Fish Scouts have, however, continued to assist farmers in fishing their ponds, and a tota11 of 7,745 p·onds were fished during the year, producing a tota1l of 143,882 lb. of fish. The catch of pond owners now fishing their ponds independently, and using their own gear, is esti­mated to ·be about 40 tons, thus bringing the tota'l production for the year from the scheme to a httle more than 100 tons, worth approxima tel y fll ,200 to the pond owners.

Up-to-date information on the tota1l number of ponds is •lacking, particu!larly in Nyanza Region, 1but it is estimated that there are now over 7,000 ponds in Western Region alone, plus a further 4,000 in Central! and South Nyanza. The latter area poses a serious problem 'because, with no staff to supervise the pond work, it is certain that many ponds are not producing the maximum yield and because of fau'lty maintenance are probably creating a hea'lth hazard. A we'ltl cared for pond, stocked with the right kind of fish, is much tless Iikely to be a source of malaria and 'bit!harzia infection than the very often swampy ground in which it was originaUy dug. Negl!ected ponds, however, perhaps not stocked at al! and overgrown with weeds, are very dangerous.

When the Fish Pond Scheme first started there was a shortage of suitable fish for stocking, which led to a number of species being stocked into sorne ponds which are now known to be Jess suitable for this kind of culture. In particu'lar, Tilapia variabilis and T. leucosticta are unsatisfactory and it is now standard procedure that, when a Fish Scout fishes out a pond containing these fish, he also poisons it to ensure the elimination of the ·Jess desirable species prior to restocking with either T. zil/ii, T. nigra or T. esculenta. The poison used for this work is Rotenone, a vegetable extract which is non-toxic to humans or 1livestock.

The Fisheries Officer has reported a number of cases where politica!J and other leaders in a location, perhaps through ignorance, have 'been giving peop1le advice contrary to that of the Fisheries Department. Such a situation is most regrettable and causes unnecessary confusion in the minds of the farmers. The Fisheries Officer now makes a point of trying to see the leaders concerned to explain our potlicy with regard to pond development, and to seek their assistance in our work.

REPORT ON mE LAKE VICTORIA FISHERIES

The portion of Lake Victoria be!longing to Kenya is the largest single source of fish in the country, and produced a total of 11,641 tons of fish in 1963, for which the fishermen received f713,952. Approximately 4,000 fishermen earn their \ living on the •lake itself, and the industry a'lso gives employment to many others engaged in anci'llary industries such as boat-building, fish-trading and the sale of fishing-nets.

It is particularly unfortunate, therefore, that the dictates of economie neces­sity shoutJd have had to force the closure of departmental work on the lake and the consequent dismissal of experienced staff. So far as the fishery itself is con­cerned, the improvement in fish catches resulting from the floods of 'late 1961 has been well maintained and has shown a slight increase over the 1962 figures of 10,918 tons worth f669,227.

There are indications that a'lthough the lake leve! has not dropped to any marked extent, seine nets are 'beginning to increase in number again, and sorne hard work must have •been put in by fishermen to Clear new seining beaches. This increase has not yet reached alarming proportions, 1but it is certain that unless checked, seining will.continue to increase and eventual'Iy lead to a resumption of

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the downward trend of the fishery which was haHed by the floods. Of more imme­diate concern is the very large number of 3t in. mesh giU nets now in use in the Kavirondo Gulf and which catch quantitie:s of very smaH immature fish.

None of these nets are illega1l because al]! net restrictions were a:bolished in 1960 as being unenforceable under the conditions then obtaining. It is felt that conditions have now ·changed, and that the fishermen who have formed an effective Fishermen's Association are now adopting a more enlightened attitude over the need for sorne form of control. In 1962 three separate associations were formed, but these have since united and the Nyanza African Lake Victoria Fishermen's Union is now representative of fishermen throughout the Kenya waters of the Œake. This move is welcomed by the Fisheries Department, as it permits much more effective ·liaison between the fishermen and ourselves than has been possible hitherto. The Nyanza African Lake Victoria Fishermen's Union has itself sub­mitted proposais for various measures to contro'l the fishing industry ·on the lake and other proposa'ls to prohibit the sa'le of certain of the more dangerous nets. These proposais, while not going quite as far as the Department wouŒd like, are nevertheless a big step forward and a·ction is being taken to bring them into being, provided that a resumption of departmental work on the 'lake should prove possi'ble in 1964.

The Fisheries Jaunch M.F.V. Pelica~ continued to give good service during the first harJf of the year and fol'lowing the closure of work she was handed over on <Joan to the East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization at Jinja. She is being put to good use there and is being much better cared for than if she were left swinging round a buoy in Kisumu. The smaJiler boats and other equip­ment held at Kisumu were distributed among the remaining stations.

REPORT ON THE FISHERIES OF LAKES NAIVASHA AND BARINGO

1963 was the first full year of commercial :fishing operations on Lake Naivasha and production from the lake is calculated to have been 183 tons worth f8,213. The original limit of six fishermen has been kept, and each fisherman 1restricted to catching a maximum of 200 :fish rper day.

In addition to the limit on totaŒ catch, a number of special conditions apply to each 1licence and these, together with the provisions of the Fish Protection (Lake Naivasha) Ru1les have to be obeyed. On the whole, fishermen have genuinely kept to the limits imposed and have co-operated very weil with the Department. Only one man persistently fl.outed the Rulles, and after his second conviction by the resident magistrate it was eventuaHy decided not to renew his •licence. Lake Naivasha is a smaH lake and there is a very detinite 'limit on what it can produce, which is imposed by a combination of the growth rate of the fish and their natural rate of reproduction. These factors were esta!blished in the preliminary investiga­tions into the fishery and to disregard them is to court disaster.

The lake .Jevel has continued to tbe maintained at approximately the height reached dùring the 1961 floods and apart from minor fluctuations shows littŒe sign of receding again. This rise has had a num'ber of effects, among which is the break-up of the extensive papyrus swamp to the north of Crescen't Island. ihere are now a large number of fl.oating iS'lands in the main lake which make the setting

·of nets there a rather hazardous undertaking. To even things out there are exten­. sive •lagoons of open· water in the area of the former patpyrus swamp, and most of the'fishing now takes place there: The break-up of the. swamp has, however, reduced the natura'l cover for the hippo .living in .the lake,. the increased move­

. ment· of ·fishing boats has· resu'lted in their · 'being disturbed more often,. and in

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consequence there have been an increasing number of cases of boats being attacked. It is feared it may only be a matter of time bef ore a fatal accident takes place.

Two Fish Scouts have been stationed at the lake throughout the year, and although shortage of staff has meant that a Fisheries Officer cou1ld only visit occasionally, the work of the Scouts has continued to be supervised by an Hono­rary Fish Warden. The Department is most grateful to this hard-working officer for the time and energy he has so freely given to the controi of this fishery.

In addition to the commercia'l fishery, Lake Naivasha also provides excellent sport fishing for anglers. The stock of B'lack Bass has shown a remarkable increase in the past year, and large catches can be obtained. Anglers do not require a 'licence, and as an incentive the largest Bass caught so far weighed just over 9 qb. Undoubtedly there are larger fish remaining to be caught!

Lake Baringo, like aH the other East African lakes, was greatly enlarged by the ftoods and rose even higher towards the end of 1963. lt rose so high that the frozen fiHet factory owned by Messrs. Norwood Fisheries Ltd. at Kampi-ya­Samaki was ftooded out and had to cease production for a few weeks. New and larger cold stores which were in process of construction at the time on a piece of higher ground were completed ahead of schedule and so enabled production to resume once more. Packets of fiillets from this factory find a ready sa'le in the Nakuru and Nàirobi areas.

The state of the fishery has continued to give rise to concern as little or nothing has been done by the controlling authority-the Baringo County Counci·l -to enforce the existing legislation and so check the iNicit trade in dried fish. The Fisheries Department has advised and warned ad nauseam but to no effect, and consideration is now being given to alternative methods of contro'lling the lake.

Production amounted to sorne 600 tons worth f24,142 and has continued weH in excess of the safe 'limit for the lake. That the decline is weil advanced is demon­strated by the fact that an increasing number of fishermen are turning to the use of i'llegal 3t in. nets in order to maintain the number of fish they are accustomed to catching. The lake is almost the only major natural resource in a semi-arid area, and no matter how unpopular they are, effective steps must ·be taken to hait the present misuse of the fishery.

REPORT ON 1HE TROUT HATCHERY

Weather was normal at the Hatchery during the year, heavy rain faHing in the months of January, March, Apri·l, November and December. The river was high and rather more coloured than usual during these months, probably because of the cultivation in progress at the seUlement scheme, but cleared satisfactori1ly during the remaining seven months. Peak ftoods were never so high as to cause damage to the ponds or loss of fish, and following the completion of four new ponds at the Kabaru Hatchery towards the end of 1962, the ca:pacity to hold spawners for production of ova •locaJily was grea tl y increased.

A tota;J of 290,880 eyed Rainlbow ova were produced Iocally from 194 2t-year­old hen fish, and in addition 103,000 Rainbow and 34,000 Brown Trout eyed ova were imported from the United Kingdom. 50,000 Rainbow ova were also imported from South Africa. Of the imports, 118,000 Rainbow and 24,000 Brown were hatched by the Department on behatJf of angling associations in Kenya.

141,742 Trout fingerlings were distributed from the Hatchery for public, private and anglling association rivers and dams, and a few thousand retained, as

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usual, for rearing as breeding stock to be stripped in 1965166. 1,600 Ti'lapia finger­lings, reared in a spare pond at the Hatchery, were also distri-buted during the year. These fish are useful, because they are a:Iready acclimatized to colder conditions than the Fish CUlture Farm stock, and are therefore used for stocking high a!Jtitude dams.

A major prolblem encountered during the year has been the appearance of a disease among the spawning stock held at the Hatchery. This disease, Lipoid degeneration of the liver, leading to a cancerous condition ca:Jled Hepatoma, is dietary in origin and has occurred because of the increasing use of dry ;pelaet feed for the fish. In the past the trout were fed exclusively on fresh meat and liver, but for the past three or four years the supply of meat has 'become scarcer and much more expensive so that alternative fe:eds had to be found. The fish are stiU fed partly on meat, as and when obtainable, but the proportion of fresh food is obviou~ly insufficient to counter the effect of the dry feed.

We have ·been fortunate enough to establish contact with workers in the United States where the same: disease is a serious problem, and who have done a great deal of work on it. Even there they do not olaim to have found the final answer, but as a result of their advice and assistance the formuaa for the pellet diet has ·been changed by deleting the groundnut and cottonseed components, and by adding additional vitamins to the premix. The assistance so readily given to us 1by Prqf. A. M. Dol:Jar of the University of Washington and by Mr. J. G. Watt of Unga Ltd., Nakuru, is greatly appreciated.

It is sti:Jl too earlly to know exadly what effect the change in formula wiN have, because until January 1966 fish reaching the two-year-old stage wi[l[ still have :been parNy fed on the o1ld diet, and may stiil! develop the symptoms. The fish themselves appear quite normal unti1 they pass the yearling stage, then sorne of the fish start to go darker in co'lour and become progressively more 'listless and in the final stages the abdominal] cavity becomes grossly distorted and filled with a yeHowish fluid. Patho1logica:J examination of the fish shows them to be anaemic and the Iiver to have a blotchy motNed appearance and in the worst cases the rough nodular surface appearance produced by advanced hepatoma. At the moment we continue to 'lose a•bout 40 per cent of the stock held for spawning with this disease, but if the new diet is successful the percentage should decrease gradually un till the end of 1965 wh en we should be in the clear.

The disease, being dietary in origin, is not in any way infections or contagious and ofllly affects stock held at the Hatchery for breeding purposes. Fish distributed for stocking in rivers are usually smal11 enough for them to have been on pellet feed for on1ly a month or two before being put into the river and so are unlikely to deve:lop the symptoms. ·

REPORT ON THE TROUT FISHERIES

The staffing difficui[ties affecting the Trout Hatchery and river work referred to in the 1962 Report continued unti!l Octo'ber 1963 when one of the Trainee Fisheries Officers took over the responsibility for the Hatchery and thus aiHowed the Fisheries Officer to give more attention to the control of the trout rive'l's.

A tota'l of 37,504 Rainbow and Brown Trout fingefllings were planted in public rivers in various parts of the country, 74,333 Rainbow and Brown went to angling association waters and 29,905 Rainbow fingerlings were sold to the owners of private rivers and dams. AJil these figures are substantia~ly in excess of similar figures for 1962 and demonstrate a continuing interest by angliers in Kenya's trout­fishing prospects.

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1963 was a much 1better year for fishing than the previous year and a number of good sized fish were taken. Among the :best fish reported were 'an 8 Œlb. 1 oz. Rainbow caught in the Lower Saosa Dam, Kericho, lby Mr. P. Holiloway; an 8 lb. Rainbow caught by Master J. Hardy in the Mela·wa River at Naivasha, and a 7 lb. 1 oz. Rainbow caught in the Kimil!i'li River, Bungoma District, by Mr. Jones. Most of the rivers have produced a nurnber of fish in the 4 ~b. to 6 'lb. class.

Test fishing indicates that Char are breeding in the Nyeri-Chania River up in the Aberdare Nationa>l Park. This is a surprising but very satisfactory discovery 'because until now it had :been thought that they wou'ld not tbreed. Reports have been received that in sorne rivers as far removed as the Mount Kenya, Kericho and Kitale areas, a very large crop of smaltl fish moved downstream with the 1963 short rains in OctoberjNovember, resuiting in complaints that sorne rivers are now overstocked. This sort of thing is likely to happen from time to time, and in certain cases where locai ru'les apply a size limit, the Department has recom­mended that these be Efted for a period.

The three trout-fishing camps maintained by the Department have been weH patronized during the year. The Thego Camp :was full most weekends, as usua11, and the Thiba Camp, with accommodation for more people, whHe not often fu~l, had plenty of visitors. H is gratifying to note that the Kimakia Camp was better patronized this year than for sorne time past. It is an attractive camp conveniently sited near four good rivers in the Fort Hall District. Very few complaints have been received this year of angliers ·being mo'lested on the rivers. It would seem that the publicity given to this trouble in the 1962 Report, and action which was subsequently taken, has had a good effect.

Poaching has continued at a.bout the same leve'! during the year, lbut whi'le there does not seem to have been any increase it remains a serious problem. Poaching 'by juvenÏ'les in particular is difficult to control because courts are often unwilling to take action in such cases. A total of 31 prosecutions was brought during the year, of which 11 were discharged as being under age. Fines totaUing Sh. 2,290 were imposed on the remaining 20 cases in which convictions were recorded.

Trout IJicences so,ld in 1963 amounted to 3,026, worth f2,386, which is a shght faN in numbers as compared to 1962.

Two hundred trout were suppllied by the Department at the time of the Independence Celebrations and formed part of the 'buffet at the Civic and State Balls held at the City HaH in honour of the occasion. It is understood that instruc­tions were issued that alJI the food for these functions was to be of local origin, and the Department is glad to have been able to make this contr~bution and thus widen the variety of food on display.

REPORT ON THE TURKANA FISHERY AT FERGUSON'S GULF, LA:KE RUDOLF

The training of Turkana fishermen in the use and maintenance of modern nylon nets continued for much of the year, and production rose accordingl!y. It is estimated that the 1963 catch amounted to 1,270 tons, worth :!:5,715, to the fisher­men. The 1bulk of this catch was purchased by Government for famine relief feeding and very l]iUle fish is as yet finding a market outside the district. The priee paid to fishermen for the catch is very much lower than the average priee obtaining elsewhere in the country because of the diffi.culty experienced in marketing the fish.

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By the ·end of the year sorne 300 fishermen had received training and equip­ment, 'but of these only 150 have adopted fishing as their permanent way of life. The others earned sufficient money from fishing to purchase Iivestock and have returned inland to their traditional way of 1ife. Further training for newcomers has had to be suspended pending a solution to the marketing problem and sim~lartly no further increase in production wiiH 'he possible untill new markets are found.

As might be imagined, work bas concentrated more and more on attempts to find new outtlets for the fish. Samples of fish from the catch of the Department's own nets have •been sent to aU the main dealers in the hope of obtaining orders. The Department organized a visit to Lake Rudolf by a party of African fish traders from Uganda and Nyanza. These attempts have not resulted in as much as we had hoped in the way of immediate orders for fish, •but proposa•Is have come in which should have an effect in 1964.

In addition to the measures already mentioned the Department has requested assistance from the Food and Agricultura'i Organization of the United Nations in carrying out a fuU sca'le marketing survey throughout Kenya, with emphasis on the marketing of fish from Lake Rudolf. This request has 'been granted and the survey is due to stait in 1964.

In the meantime the Fisheries Officer bas othe-r work in band to ensure that the quality of fish and the standards of processing are as high as we can make them. Demonstrations are given on the best way of Cleaning and fiUeting fish and handling the catch during the drying process. tlt was noticed quite eady on that although there is no trouble with blow-fly, an infestation of the dried fish in store with a species of beet<le was causing difficulty. This bas now been solved 'by the use of a pyrethrum dip and the assistance of officers of the ·Pyrethrum Board in this work is much appreciated.

Considerable assistance bas· been given to the Department by the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief who made three grants during the year. f1 ,200 was a!llocated for the construction of a Iaunch for the fishery, a further fl,lOO for improvements to the road from Ferguson's Gulf to -Lodwar and f300 for the purchase of fishing gear. The •Iaunch is now complete except for final adjustments, and w~Jtl 1be in service on the lake by mid-1964.

The Christian Council of Kenya has also provided funds to assist in the formation of a fishermen's co-operative for marketing the catch more efficiently. This money is being administered 'by the African Inland Mission which has now established a station at the Gulf.

Officers of the East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization have spent varying periods at the Gulf c011'lecting material and carrying out research investigations and ana!lysis of catch records. This work will Jbe of great assistance in working out optimum production figures for the lake on which development can •be based. A point of considera'ble interest is why the Lake Rudo'if tillapia grow so much larger than those of other lakes. The answer to this might result in new methods of increasing production from fish ponds.

Crocodile have ·been hrought under controi in the area of fishing development, but infiltration 1by crocodiles from outside this area requires constant vigiilance to prevent damage to nets and other fi·shing gear. The types of gear in use show no change from 1962: the 8 in. giH net is the main type, although floating long-•lines and seine nets are also used.

The sport fishing prospects on the lake have continued to be developed. The Safari Camp at Loyenge<lani caters for tourists who can only afford a short stay,

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and the Government Rest Camp at Ferugson's Gulf is available for people pre­pared to rough it. This Rest Camp has become increasingly popUilar over the past couple of years, and the most notable visitor of recent times was H.R.H. Prince PhHip, who spent three days there fo1llowing the Independence Celebrations. A number of iarge fish were ;Janded during the year induding a 238 llb. Nile Perch caught by Mr. B. E. A. Pockley on 45 ~~b. breaking-strain line at Loyengelani. Unfortunately no proper register of records is kept for these fish but if it were this woUild almost certainly qua'lify Jor the Kenya record.

REPORT ON THE FISH CULTURE FARM

Production of fish for stocking purposes, and research work into problems affecting the culture of fish in smaH ponds, have continued at the Fish Culture Farm, Sagana. There has 'been an increase in the demand for fish for stocking dams and other waters throughout the country, and the total! num:ber of fish distributed from the station for this purpose during 1963 was 21,632. The com­position of the fish distributed was as fo!llows:-

Ti/apia nigra-mixed sex Tilapia nigra-sexed Tilapia zillii-mixed sex Tilapia zillii-sexed Tilapia melanopleura-mixed sex Black Bass

16,304 28

3,917 22

1,100 261

The ma:jority of the fish were for the stocking of privately owned waters, and as has been the case for sorne years now, the greatest demand has been for the non-weed-eating type. The demand for the weed-eaters T. zillii and T. me/ana­pleura is mainly confined to dams used solely for irrigation purposes where weed is undesirable 'because it causes lb!ockage of the pipes. There has 'been no change in the method of transporting Iive fish, the technique of packing them in polythene bags with water, oxygen and a tranquilizer having proved quite satisfactory.

The demand for Black Bass (Micropterus salmoides) continues weH in excess of the supply, and the Fisheries Officer has had to carry on with the unsatisfactory arrangement of coJilecting fingerlings from a dam sorne 25 miies away from the Fish Culture Farm. He did report, however, towards the end of the year, that one spawning had occurred in one of the four-acre dams on the station, and if this can be repeated then the task of satisfying the demand for bass wiiH 'be greatly eased.

Staffing difficulties have severely hampered the work o"n the research side throughout the year, the only officer avai'lable to take charge of the station being one of the Trainee Fisheries Officers. ConsequenHy, while a certain amount of ad hoc experimentation has taken place, such as the continuing efforts to get the bass to 'breed, the bulk of the work has concentrated on the stock side• and associated field work.

The Fisheries Officer was caUed on to test fish in the 1arge Chinga ·Dam in · the Nyeri area, as a . result of a suggestion that a commercia'! fishery rriight be established there. The result indicated that there was certa:inl!y no càpàcity for a large-scale fishery but that two or three fishermen using nets could expect to produce a1bout 20 tons per annum which could •be sold in Nyeri and the surround­ing districts. The. Fisheries Officer also laid on demonstnitions of :fishing înethods for the benefit of prospective fishermen. .. ·

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For sorne years now the Department has been stocking dams so as to provide a reserve of food for such time as the locaJl populace ·overcome their prejudice against eating fish. There are a number of these dams in the Fort Ha'll and Nyerî areas -each capable of sustaining a catch of severa'! tons a year, which would be weJt] worth while exploiting.

Minor floods have been expetienced durihg the year and have twice neces­sitated repairs to the causeway and bridge over the Ragati River; on neither occasion were the ftoods as high or as prolonged as those of October /November 1961, and the damage was of a minor nature only.

REPORT ON THE SEA FISHERIES

ÙENERAL

The estimated weight of fish landed on the Kenya coast in 1963 was 4,189 tons va:lued at f234,584. The catch was therefore near.Jy 1,000 tons Jess than the 1962 figure, and detail]ed records maintained by the Department con:firm that iandings have in fact 'been the Jowest for five years.

Although the tonnage landed was down, the value of the catch showed a marked increase, and the average ·priee per pound of fish was 50 cents as compared to the 1962 figure of 40 cents. The increase in va'lue was the result of demand exceeding the supply of fish, the higher priees which fishermen in the Malindi area have been getting as a resu'lt of the opening of the Maiindi Wholesale Fish Market, and the increasingly important export of crawfish tails to the 'luxury markets of Europe.

The decline in tonnage !]anded results from protlonged adverse weather con­ditions during the year, which reduced the fishing effort ·by preventing fishermen from getting to sea. It is also possible that hydrologica'i changes may have occurred to affect the fish stocks. The natura1l production of fish in the sea depends almost entirely on oceanographie conditions and the large-scale circutlation of water masses which cause up-weHing of the deeper nutrient-rich water.

The Indian Ocean bordering the Kenya coast shows no area of up-welling, except to the north off the Somailia coast and the Gulf of Aden. Water circut!atiàns in the Indian Ocean are not yet fuJtly understood, but the results of the Inter­nationa!l Indian Ocean Expedition which is at present investigating these problems should throw much .Jight on why fish popuiJations wax and wane in fairly regular cycles. In the meantime there is no reason to rbelieve that this year's poor catches wiU continue, provided that weather conditions prove kinder.

The opening of the new Malindi WhoŒesale Fish Market in June 1963 was one of the most important events of the year. It was unfortunate that the market opening coincided with the poorest catches for sorne years, but the original! estimates 'based on average catches, such as the 1960 figure, clearly indicate that the market can be a viable proposition and not become a Iiabi'liry on the Malindi ratepayers. The market has been well re~reived by the fishermen in the Ma1lindi area, and the consistently good priees they have been getting for their fish wîll ensure the success of the market.

Appendix E shows the steady risè in the average priee per pound to .fisher­men from June onward, and Appendix è gives details of the financiai running of

the market and shows how its viability depends on the quantity of fish 1anded. ·

11

FRESHWATER FISHERIES

'ln the past the bepartment's efforts have concentrated on the development of the marine fisheries. It has, however, been known that considerrubl[e potentüvl exists for the exploitation of the inland freshwater areas of the Coast Region, and during the year a departmenta1l team under one of the Fisheries Officers explored sorne of the water catchment areas adjacent to the Tana River.

Lake Ba'lisa, to the north of Garsen, received particular attention and a lbrief survey was undertaken to determine the extent of the area and the density and distribution of the ·fish popu'iation. Results showed that tilapia were distributed throughout, with an extra heavy concentration in the Warera River. This is a stream feeding the lake from the Tana itself, but in addition to fish it a•Jso contains a large herd of hippo, so that in the ·smaiJI dinghy used by the team the survey was of necessity somewhat hasty.

Sorne of the local inhabitants were willing to be tr-ained in the use and maintenance of gill nets and soon became proficient in the handling of the gear recommended 1by the Department. Initia'! difficulties in marketing these ti'lapia were experienced because of the distance from the main consumer markets and consequent deterioration of the quallity of the fish in transit. Now that the Salbaki Bridge has been opened, and with the availa'bility of cold storage faciüties in the Ma.Jindi Fish Market, this problem should become Jess acute. Dried tilapia found a ready sa'le, and with improvements to the methods used for drying and smoking, the potential for this product should increase considerably. A portab'le smoking ki•ln has 'been made by the Department, and wi'H be taken to the area for trial)s and demonstrations.

Lake Ba'lisa is only one of a number of small lakes and lagoons along the Tana River, aiH of which contain quantities of exceHent fish. Much work remains to be done to ensure that they are exploited for the ·benefit of the local popuaace. The Department plans to investigate these and other areas, such as the Sabaki VaHey and Lakes Chala and Jipe, so as to be a:ble to advise on their proper management.

Appendix G gives a picture of the earnings of a group of three local fisher­men on Lake Balisa, during one week's fishing after having had instruction from departmental staff.

NORTH COAST-KIVNGA

A survey carried out lby the Department showed that the production of this area, which indudes the vi!Hages of Kiunga, Shakani, Rubi, Sondeni and Mvindeni, amounted to about 300 tons onŒy, valued at !.6,720. The bulk of the catch is sundried prior to sale, and on'iy in the dry season is it possible to transport sorne of the catch the 400 miles to Mombasa :by road, as fresh fish on ice.

Fish are plentifu1l but the fishermen received poor priees for their catch, and this, com'bined with the factors. of distance from market and very bad roads, precludes any possi'bility of extensive development at present. The survey also showed that 1,473 fishermen work in the area and earn a bare subsistence from the fishery.

Coid storage facillitfes, better roads and transport to move the fish to market are required before there can lbe any hope of increasing production and irnproving the 'living standards of the fisherrnen. ·

12

NORTH CüAST-LAMU

Landings from this area, which inOludes the Bajune Island, is again estimated to 'be 600 tons, valued to the fishermen at f26,880.

The firm engaged in exporting crawfish from an island north of Lamu un­successfullly applied for concession rights for the purchase of crawfish in the area. Objections froi11 the fishermen resulted in the application being rejected, because the fishermen, who are traditiona1l'ly individualists, wished to retain their right to sell their catch to the highest bidder. ·

As a result of this refusai the firm have threatened to withdraw their pro­cessing and cold storage fadlities a:nd move elsewhere. This action wouŒd have a serious and detrimenta'l effect on the economy of the area, and in order to retain an industry so essential to the Lamu fishermen it has 'been proposed that a co-operative, or alternatively a Fish Marketing Board, be formed to contro'l the production and export of this valuable natura'i resource.

The process of exporting crawfish, from the catch to the transporting of the final product to Europe, is a complicated one and especia!Jly so in the remoter areas where transport facillities are' at 'best inadequate, and often non-existent. It would seem essential, therefore, to retain the technicai knowledge of the firm at presen~ engaged in the trade, under sorne form of agreement with a producers' co-operative.

The retention of overseas markets already he'ld by the company would thus be assured. Processing and exporting could be left in the. expert's bands on an agreed commission hasis, Ieaving the task of production and coiJ'lection as the function of the co-operative.

The development of the economy of the Lamu area has been a cause of concern for sorne years, and it must depend very largeJly on the expansion of the looa'l fishing industry. The crawfish processing facilities on Kiwayu Island have done ·rouch to rai se the living standard of the people of the area. Failure to reach sorne form of agreement on the future of the plant, resulting in its dismantling and remova1l, wou1!d be disastrous. It is estimated that in a 12-month period over f7,500 was paid direcNy to fishermen engaged in catching crawfish. The Depart­ment is engaged in testing more productive catching methods, which when intro­duced will greatly increase the crawfish catch and consequenVly the earnings of the fishermen.

MALINDI

Fish landings at Maündi showed a fa'Jil in 1963 to 416 tons valued at f29,810. This compares to the 1962 figures of 578 tons worth f32,183 and resulted from a reduction in the number of man-days at sea 'because of bad weather and a big drop in the average daHy catch per man. Appendix A shows the Malindi records in detai'l since 1958.

The catch of pelagie species, particularly kingfish, tuna and sai'lfish, is the otllly part of the total! catch to show an increase on 1962, and this is an example of how climatic conditions can affect fish production.

After many delays caused by technical difficulties, the Ma'iindi E'ish Markèt oame into operation in June. A•lready it has resulted in ·better priees for the fisher­men and this in turn bas induced fishermen to bring fish for sale from areas ·otltside those originally specified in the Market Rules. The below average catches ,during 1963 have meant that the market .bas. had to operate at a small 'Joss, but given 'better weather in 1964 and improved Iandings, this.loss sh<mld be more than

13

offset. In time, improved transport facilities to the north will enable fish rto be . brought economically for sale in the market, and so contribute even more tp, its success.

SouTH CoAST

It is e-stimated that 400 tons of fish were 1landed ·on· the South Coast during the year. The area is from Mombasa southwards to Shimoni and Vanga, and although the population is much greater than to the north of Mombasa, the nurnber of fishermen is relatively 8maJil. Departmenta11 records show 1 ,500 fisher­men engaged on a part-time basis in fishing, using 600 boats.

It appears that the South Coast has a smaNer fishing potential than elsewhere, and fishing is of secondary importance to agriculture. It is also the case· that there is on! y a smaJil area of water of 1less than 100 fa th oms, the continentaJl shelf is very narrow and three mile:s offshore drops steeply to the depths. The :bullk of the catch is iced and transported by road to Mombasa, but there is in addition a considerable 'bicyc'le trade carrying fish to the vi'llage markets inland where fish is in steady demand.

Mombasa, with its ·popu1lation exceeding 200,000, is the main consumer market for sea fish, 'but suffers from very inadequate distribution facilities. There is. a great need for the construction of a wholesa·le fish market through which aH fish can be channeHed, and where retailers can obtain their supplies under hygienic

·conditions. •Provision of proper!y designed fish sta'Ils in the Municipal Market would a'Iso ensure that fish would •be more readily avai1lable to the genera11 public.

LOANS TO FISHERMEN

This scheme was initiated in 1960 to assist fishermen to purchase more modern equrpment and so to increase their efficiency and earnings. The initia~! grant of ;!;5,000 was to form a revolving fund into which repayment of loans and interest on loans or investments would be paid. The viability of the fund is dependent, therefore, on the prompt repayment of loan instalments, in order to enab'le new loans to be granted. The reluctance of many fishermen to repay has resU'lted in the fund being frozen on the orders of the Minister for Commerce and Industry because, 'by the end of the year, 56 of the 79 loans outstanding were in serious arrears.

Although at first glanee it wou'ld appear as if the scheme was a complete failure, the fund has enahled sorne progressive fishermen to purchase modern gear developed and recommended by the Department. In par.ticular the Ozio and Tata traps made of po'lyethylene netting have been much sought after and one fisherman in the Kiwayu area earned over ;flOO in a month using one of these very efficient traps. This extension work carried out ·by the Department has aroused great interest among the fishermen, and has resulted in numerous applications for loans to purchase the gear. The freezing of the loans fund, inevitatb'le as it was, has slowed down the rate of development beoause the majority of fishermen do not possess sufficient capital for the initia'! purchase of the equipment. The farlure of the loans scheme can par11ly be attributed to •loans which were issued for the purchase of out-dated gear, and because many loans were granted without any prior reference to the Fisheries Department as to the feasibility of the application. It is significant that the majority of defaulters are not the purchasers of ex-pensive but efficient gear recommended :by the Department, but those who received 'loans to renew old craft and for the continuation of the older methods of fishing. SmaU loans for this purpose do not permit the borrower to increase his production sufficien1!ly to ena'ble him to repay the 'loan as weil as to subsist. Efforts are in

14

hand to recover as rouch as possible of the outstanding money so as to enahle the fund to resume its part in the development of the fishery.

GEAR DEVELOPMENT: TRAWLING EXPERIMENTS

Bottom trawling for demersal species, such as is carried out in many parts of the world, cannot be considered a pmctical commercia'l proposition on the Kenya coast 1because of the very narrow and steeply &loping continental shdlf. Much of the ground which might otherwise suit trawling is so fouled with coraJl outcrops as to render the operation of lbottom gear impossib'le. There are, however, limited estuarine areas where fresh water prevents the growth of corail, and where a small bottom trawl could be operated by small powered craft.

The Department has made a number of preliminary test hauls in the areas off the Sabaki and Tana Rivers, and these do give an indication of sorne potentia'l for such a fishery. Off Kipini, an aver·age of 88-!- lb. of fish and 6 1b. of prawns for a 30-minute haul was recorded, and off the Sabaki the average was 91.3 Œb. of fish and 12.8 lb. of prawns for hauls of the same duration. The conC'lusions drawn were that pmwns, which were the most valluahle part of the catch, are <limited in distribution and quantity, and almost certainly restricted to the sea areas diluted by fresh water from the outflow of the two rivers. The most va.Jua,blle catches of prawns were in the discoloured water off the river mouths. Although these catches seem sma'l1l by international standards, the use of such sma']] trawls could 1be of considerable benefit to the Kenya coasta;J fishermen, but in the meantime further work remains to •be done to fu]IJy plot the exploitable areas and the seasona'l variations in concentration of the fish in these areas.

It is very important to consider the advantages that may be gained by a break with traditional methods when planning the development of the industry and assessing its potential. Fishermen the world over are conservative and resist change strongly, but many of the methods at present in use are uneconomic and the stocks of fish which can be caught with traditiona!J craft and gear are often of no great commercial 1potentiaL Among the many new methods at present 'being tested by the Department are lo'bster pots and tangle nets for crawfish, trawls and ilong-lines. An F.A.O. survey of the possibilities of a mechanized long-qine fishe:ry to exploit the stocks of pelagie fish found off-shore is due to start in 1964. It is on'ly lby such exploratory work, foUowed by a concentration of effort on the methods found to be the most economie and productive, that a really worthwhile fishing industry can be built up.

TURTLES

Only the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydes) is caught commerciaUy off the East African coast. The production is mainly exported to Europe, 'but a smaill amount of turtle meat is so.Jd officially from shops in the Mombasa area. Turtle meat, resembling vea'l, is succu1lent and tender and commands a good market priee. Turtles are protected under the Wild Anima1ls Protection Act, and whiJe, this legi~lation is strictly enforced, it is certain that numbers are taken iNegaHy in the remoter areas and consumed locaJily. Only a 'limited number of permits are issued ta catch turtles and these are confined mainly to the Bajune Islands where fisher­men have fO'llowed this traditional fishe-ry for many years. Eight 'licences were issued in 1963 and a total of 128 turNes were officially recorded weighing approxi-mately 32,000 lb. and va1lued at f384 to the fishermen. ·

A total of 25,853 lb. of frozen turtle and 2,934 lb. of turtle oi.J were exported to Europe where they found a ready market. The Green Turtle is the on'ly true marine turtle that is commonly eaten, and it derives its name from the greenish

)r-.,

15

<;eilour of its fat. The carapace or outer shell is used for the making of soup, and is considered a delicacy. The very palatab~lity of this interesting marine creature has been the cause of its near extinction. Off the Florida coast, the Carribean !$lands and the S~ychelles, intensive fishing has depleted the stock to such an extent that only restrictive 'legislation has preserved the species.

Turtles were incorporated into the Wild Animais Protection Act in K~nya to protect them from this fate and generally speaking this has proved successful. However, 'littJle future development can be envisaged for this fishery and the Department's efforts are directed main'ly at enforcing the existing legislation.

SEDENTARY FISHERIES

(a) Bêche-de-mer.-The export of these Holothurians is restricted to one concessionaire on the Kenya coast. The sea-slug, as it is otherwise known, is cdllected at low tide lby spearing or by hand and brought ashore for drying. The dried product is exported to China where there is a ready market. There is no domestic consumption of this food, so f·ar as is known. One hundred and nineteen centals of dried Bêche-de-mer were exported from Kenya during 1963, worth about f.420 to the fishermen.

(b) Oysters.-The oyster fishery on the Kenya coast is based mainly on the natura'l'ly occurring rock or cupped oysters (Crassostria cucculata). The Depart­ment has already done considerable experimental work on extensions for this smalll but -lucrative section of the marine ·fisheries, but when the experimenta<! culch trays in the Ki!Jifi River were carried out to sea by floods this came to an end. Lack of staff and pressure of other work have prevented anything being done since.

Extension of the present fishery can only <be achieved hy culture techniques such as are successfuHy carried out in countries such as lapan and Austra'lia. Oysters are weil suited to artificiai culture 'because of their comparative immobility, except during the larva<l stages when they are free swimming. Oyster culture there­fore consists of erecting suitable media to catch the oyster spat, such as mangrove sticks, 1bundles of brushwood, stones or cement-coated roofing ti:les. When the oysters attain a suitab:le size they are transplanted to trays or racks and then require careful cleaning and cu'l'ling until they reach marketable size at a!bout three years old.

As oysters are eaten raw, it is particularly important that their cultivation should be carried out in areas free from industria•l or domestic pdHution. Out­breaks of typhoid have occurred in sorne countries in the past, where this pre­caution was not taken. In most countries where oyster culture is now practised, careful cleaning take:s •place and frequent 'bacteriological tests are carried out. Faci'lities for such advanced work do not yet exist in Kenya, and this is one reason why the fishery is controUed under a licensing system. fllegal collection of oysters in •areas considered unsafe by the Fisheries Department are a menace to public heallth, and are severely dea'lt with. The real culprits, howe:ver, are the retaiŒ merchants intent on'ly on making a qulck profit, rather than the fishermen who do the coHecting.

As a by-product, crushed oyster shell is much sought after by poultry farmers as a food additive. The demand has increased in recent years and during 1963 a total of 120 tons worth f3,000 were produced. Oyster meats sold totalled 633,000, or 2,710 pints worth f2,525. The average number of meats per pint was 150 in the Port Tudor area, 200 in the Port Reitz area and 210 in the Ki'lifi River.

Oysters are in ever-increasing demand, they are pa~atable and have a high nutritional value, so that this smaH fishery is weN worth developing. It requires

16

intelligent management, however, because ove·r-fishing could easi'ly take place and deplete the natural stocks beyond hope of recovery. One of the Department's functions is to main tain a close watch on the numbers of oysters taken each month, and to encourage artificia'l culture so as to conserve and mu'ltiply the existing stocks.

(c) Crawfish.-An estimated 114,380 'l'b. of crawfish has been landed on the Kenya coast, vrulued at f8,615. The officially recorded catch at Malindi showed a slight decrease over ·Iast year's Iandings although the priee paid to the fishermen has increased. This increased priee in the Malindi area, arising out of the com­pulsory sale of the catch through the Malindi market, was reflected elsewhere and priees genera'lly were higher. In the Lamu area an estimated 70,000 'lb. of crawfish were landed at an average priee to the fishermen of Sh. 1/50 per pound. On the South Coast from Vanga to Mom'basa the catch was estimated to be 36,000 'lb. of crawfish worth f3,600.

The general increase in crawfish 'landings is a result of increased demand on the domestic market, and because of the very high processing standards maintained by the export firm, a continued and increasing demand for Kenya crawfish from overseas. The catching methods are such that weather does not affect production to any marked extent. The fishermen operate mainly in the shallower water adjacent to the reef and capture is made by one of the foHowing methods:-

(a) By diving at Iow tide using face masks and catching by hand.

(b) By the use of torches or flares at night which dazz:le the fish. (c) By trapping on a small scale using "Maema" type traps.

In order to investigate the potentia'l of the crawfish population in deeper water outside the reef, the Fisheries Department has done a considerabŒe amount of experimentation in the use of a box-trap successfu'l'ly used :by American craw­fishermen. Results have proved that crawfish can be caught in depths of up to 20 fathoms. 'ln an area north of Mambrui, one fleet of five traps caught 19 craw­fish in two days, averaging 1 tlb. each. One trap alone had caught 13 craWfish, but another close by had nothing, indicating the "folilow my leader" pattern of behaviour of the species. So far the Department has had litHe success in "selling" this type of fishing to the fishermen. Unfortunately the tra:ps are bulky and cannot therefore 'be conveniently carried on the traditiona'l boats at present in use. Very few fishermen possess the necessary capital! to purchase the powered craft and other equipment that would be required, and this coupiled with their reluctance to change from weH tried, if relatively unproductive methods, means ii will be sorne time 'before a real'ly efficient crawfish industry can be esta>blished.

The composition of the crawfish catch is made up of the species Palinuru's ornatus, P. longipes and P. dasypus, and the average priee paid to fishermen varies from Sh. 1/20 per pound in the remo ter areas, to Sh. 3 f 50 per pound on the Malindi auction where the catch goes to the hotel trade in Malindi and Mombasa. Given a change-over to more efficient gear and wider ex·ploitation of the unfished deep-water crawfish stocks, the catch can be increased very substantiaNy and th-e consequent ex'pansion of the export trade woulld prove of considerable economie benefit to the Coast Region and the country as a whole.

BIG ÜAME FISHING

The development of this important tourist asset continues and has a.ttracted a large nurnber of tourists from overseas. The wodd-wide interest in this exciting sport increases aH the time and Kenya is fortunate enough to have the right ~limatic conditions, game ·fishing craft fitted with the latest fishing equipment, and

1

17

excellent hotels sufficient to satisfy the needs of the most discriminating of fishing enthusiasts.

Departmenta'l records of the Malindi catch detai1led in Appendix B show that 295 sai'lfish :(Istiophoros gladius) and 13 marlin (Makaira hercheli) were landed from game fishing boats from .Tanuary to Dece:mber 1963. This is an increase on Œast year's 1landings, although the tota·l weight of fish was lower at 67,323 lb. for 1,190 'boat da ys, an average of 56.5 ·l'b. per boat day. Severa! new craft have arrived, al'l of a very high standard and incorporating the very 1latest in modern fishing gear and other equipment.

Mombasa also has an active and thriving Sea Angling Club which was formed in 1961 and which landed 14,080 'lb. of fish in 1963. The catch was made up of 66 sailfish, five marlin and kingfish (Scomberomorus commerson), wahoo (Acan­thocybium solandai) and various species of tunny. A modern Sea Angling Olub established at Shimoni and fishing the Pemba Channel reported sorne very Œarge marlin but did not supply detai'ls. The Mnarani Olub at Kilifi reported a catch of 33 sailfish, one black marlin and 8,000 lb. of other species during the year, and good catches were a'lso made at Mtwapa.

There is no doubt at aH that the development of this very important tourist attraction will be of considerable 'benefit to the nationatl economy. Malindi wiH probab1ly continue to be the main centre for big game fishing, but it does 'lack a good aH-weathe'r anchorage for smaH craft. Overseas tourists are not always happy to have to wade through the surf to and from the boats, and the construction of a breakwater to form a sheiltered anchorage is essentia·l for the future development of the industry. Quite apart from the tourist aspect, a harbour witJI be required to meet the needs of a future large scale tuna fishery, which is now much C!oser to becoming a rea'lity. The main fishing grounds lie to the northward of Malindi which is thus idea'lly situated for off-loading the catch, particu'larly now that facilities exist for ice production and cold storage. The loading of stores and ice and the off-.Joading of fish wiH on'ly be possible from a reasonably sheltered harbour. A preliminary survey has 'been carried out and a plan prepared for a harbour costing sorne f80,000, but it remains to be seen if the money can be found.

CoRAL GARDEN FrsH .RESERVES

It has been apparent for sorne years that there is a need to reserve Œimited areas of the Kenya coast so as to ensure the preservation of sorne of the very colourful coral fish which are a delight to the eye and a major attraction to overseas visitors. The first of these reserves, at Watamu, south of Ma'lindi, has been an unqualified success. This area had for sorne years 'been a favourite testing ground for spear fishermen, and had been indiscriminately shot over to such an extent that the fish population had dwindled a'larmingly. The few fish that remained had become extremely shy and swam off when approached by the most harmless of underwater swimmers. Within two years from the creation of the Watamu Reserve, the effect on fish .Jife has been most marked. Not only has the fish popu­lation increased in numbers and variety, it has a1!so 1become unafraid of man to the extent of 'being hand-fed! The fish can be o•bserved from gilass-bottomed boats; or for the more adventurous, diving with face-masks to the coral caves of the large tewa or rock-cod {Epinephelus sp.) and can ·be an experience rarely found elsewhere.

A second reserve has already been delineated a•bout four mi'les south of Malindi, and ·legislation to prohibit spear-fishing in this area, known as the Malindi Coraq Gardens, wi'll be published in 1964. This shou'ld also prove a success as the

\

18

tourist potential at Malindi is good and likely to improve. The Coral Garden is in any case a1ready weil known for the beauty of its live corrul and colourful inha!bitants.

Future plans may inc:lude areas north and south of Mombasa so as to ensure that ail the main tourist centres wi'Vi have a reserve close at hand and so be able to offer this wonderfuΠattraction to tourists and other visitors.

It must he stressed that the spear fishermen will stiH he very w(!i}come on the Kenya coast, and it is certainly not the intention to discourage this exciting sport, except in the areas delineated. These areas are smaŒrl in relation to the siz;e of the coast and excellent spear-fishing wila continue to be readi~y availa'ble in the rouch larger uncontroHed sections, orto seaward of the fringing reef.

Year

1958 .. . . . . 1959 .. . . . . 1960 .. . . . . 1961 .. . . . . 1962 .. . . . . 1963 .. . . . .

Year Demersal Value Pelagie

Sh. cts. 1958 .. 739,856 279,150 91 252,379 1959 .. 589,593 233,832 55 224,797 1960 .. 635,320 266,656 73 159,206 1961 .. 788,549 368,273 25 180,970 1962 .. 868,787 416,953 98 104,778 1963 .. 685,600 420;814 10 123,846

1958 .. 1'959 .. 1960 .. 1961 .. 1962 .. 1963 ..

. .

. .

. .

. .

. .

. .

MALINDI FISHERY

Average Tons Daily Catch

per Man

lb. 748 25·22 556·8 21·39 488 20·26 579 21·0 578 19·19 416 14·94

CATCH ANALYSIS (in oounds)

APPENDIX A

Man Amount Fishing Paid to Da ys Fishermen

f, 66,454 37.318 58,346 27,402 53,957 24,048 61,609 29,088 67,476 32,183 62,476 29,810

Value Shark Value Crawfish Value : Other fish Value

Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. 240,393 89 544,140 179,656 80 10,542 18,638 35 128,623 28,538 96 182,132 20 380,380 110,976 00. 5,155 8,250 50. 47,535 12,865 65 115,923 30 218,115 66,959 70 4,251 6,545 77 76,229! 24,711 86 99,445 10 259,993 87,319 95 ' 3,550 5;078 25 . 65,739 21,636 75 62,856 76 244,160 117,811 35 9,720 16,171 90 67,429 29,877 30

111,180 21 89,349 33,635 39 8,380 16,318 22 25,934 14,259 49

Year Tota!l Catch · Total Value

ib. Sh. cts. 1,676,041 746,369 00 -. . . . . . . . ..

. . . . . . . . . . 1,247,460 548,056 90

. . . . . . . . . . 1,093,12ot 480,964 64

. . . . . . . . . . 1,298,801 581,753 30

. . . . . . . . . . 1,294,873 M3,67l 29

. . . . . . . . . . 933,109 596,207 41

-\0

Mon th

January February .. March . . April . . May . . June . . July . . August . . Sèptember October .. November December

20

APPENDIX B:

MALINDl BIG GAME FISHING STATISTICS 1963

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

1 r ···-

Boat Days Total Catch

lb. 150 9,040 148 . 10,719 107 7,998

53 1,189 4 38

14 301 18 186.

101 160 107 7,164 142 13,548 187 11,390 159 5,527

1,190 67,320

Number of boat days .. Total weight of fish caught Average catch per boat day·

1

No. Sailfish

65 22

1 1

-1

-2

16 44 45 89

295

1,190 67,320 lb.

56·5lb.

No. Marlin

1 2

--· -· -

1 1 1 1 3 3:

13

APPENDIX C

TOTAL ANNUAL SHARK CATCH FROM MALINDI REGION

Year Lb.

1

Boat Days A vera ge Catch Average Catch Boat Days per Net Day

1956 . . .. 257,233 859 300 145 1957 . . .. 519,810 1,730 300 107 1958 . . .. 347,452 1,585 218 49 1959 .. 87,039 834 104 18·5 1960 .. . . 23,382 541 43 15·7 1961 . . .. 68,481 976 70 25·2 1962 . . .. 70,189 720 97·4 45·3 1963 . . .. 89,349 1,223 73·05 16·75

21

CRAWFISH CATCH-MALINDI

Year Total Catch Total Value

lb. Sh. ct s. 1958 10,542 18,638 00 1959 5,155 8,250 50 1960 4,422 6,545 77 1961 3,550 5,078 25 1962 9,720 16,171 90 1963 8,380 16,318 22

CRAWFISH CATCH-LAMU

Year Total Catch Total Value

~1 lb. Sh. ct s. 1958 37,392 22,511 00 1959 25,076 37,614 00 1960 30,295 38,183 00 1961 54,132 48,664 00 1962 59,545 74,431 00 1963 70,000 84,000 00

MALINDI A VERA GE PRICES 1963

January February March April .. May June-July .. August ... September _ October November December

- .. ;. -

Sh. cts. 45lb. 40 lb. 48lb. 59! lb. 44lb. 75lb. 97lb. 13lb. 90 lb. 67lb. 60 lb. 87lb.

APPENDIX D .

APPENDIX E

J

Mon th

J une .. J uly .. A ·ugust s eptember. 0 ctober

t>Vember N Dece rn ber

TOTAL

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

--:;,

APPENDIX F

MALINDI WHOLESALE FISH MARKET-ANALYSIS OF CASH TAKINGS YEAR 1963

Total Fresh Dried Rent of 1 Watamu 1

Total Weight of Fish Fish Cold Licences lee Total Cash

Fish,. Commis- Commis- Store Offices Transport Sales Sales Takings Fresh sion sion

lb. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. 69,372 2,383 29 - 64 13 48 00 - - 503 80 33,184 15 2,999 22 68,983 4,475 85 - 186 55 162 00 564 95 296 75 1,038 00 64,158 89 6,724 10 45,699 3,987 55 - 253 50 81 00 363 25 383 25 1,533 15 56,620 45 6,601 70 53,319 3,191 10 69 05 283 85 87 00 300 00 423 35 995 30 46,426 70 5,349 65 78,692 3,625 75 163 40 273 35 323 00 200 00 645 80 1,319 10 51,518 75 6,550 40 80,376 3,582 30 280 20 207 20 171 00 300 00 446 25 1,447 60 53,013 80 6,434 55 72,879 3,920 15 347 90 308 60 161 00 200 00 461 50 1,658 70 59,328 05 7,057 85

469,320 25,165 99 860 55 1,577 18 1,033 00 1,928 20 2,656 90 8,495 65 364,250 79 41,717 47 ~-----~==--

APPENDIX G

LAKE BALISA FISHEfUES-EARNINGS OF 3 FISHERMEN FOR 1 WEEK

NUMBER OF FISH SOLD­Fresh~382 Dried-452

EXPENSÈS-Gear Purchased:

3 x 5 in. nylon 210d/6 ply gill nets 44 plastic floats 1 coil polyethylene tope 1 coil Kura:Jon rope 1 lb. soft Kuralon twine 60 lb. lead

One empty sack Transport of dried fish, Sabaki to Malindi ..

Total Expenditure

CASH HANDED TO THE GROUP­Cash paid by the group Proceeds of fish sales

Less Expenses

NET lNCOME

Amount Taken

Sh. cts. 395 80 190 15

588 95

Amount Paid

Sh. · cts. 135 00 88 00 32 50 43 15

8 00 30 00

336 65 1 50 5 00

343 15

60 00 588 95

648 95 343 80

305 15

APPENDIXH

KENYA NET IMPORTS OF FISH AND FISHERIES PREPARATIONS

Dried, Salted or Smoked Canned 1 Frozen 1

Total Year

Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value

x 100 1b. ±: x 100 lb. ±: x 100 lb. ±: x 100 lb. ±: 1958 . . .. .. 9,100 44,146 4,938 64,019 1,238 20,841 15,276 129,006 1959 . . . . .. 11,218 53,107 5,078 69,354 1,429 28,736 17,775 151,197 1960 .. . . .. 9,353 42,687 5,312 74,282 1,562 25,625 16,227 142,594 1961 .. .. .. 9,184 41,196 5,230 70,620 1,620 24,491 16,034 136,307 1962 .. . . .. 10,904 45,520 5,873 77,633 1,616 24,271 18,393 147,424 1963 .. . . .. 12,106 44,809 5,743 67,772 1,351 20,301 19,200 132,882

KENYA EXPORTS OF FISH

Fish, Fresh or Frozen Fish, Other Bêche-de-Mer Crustacea

\

Total Year --

Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value

x 100 lb. ±: x 100 lb. ±: x 100 lb. f x 100 lb. • ±: x 100 lh. f, 1962 . . .. 680 5,965 221 2,641 115 1,125 483 16,345 1,499 26,076 1963 .. .. 693 6,560 171 3,541 119 1,050 648 23,189 1,631 34,340

APPENDIX I

ESTIMATED FISH LANDINGS ON KENYA COAST

Year

' 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963

1959 .. 1960 .. 1961 .. 1962 .. 1963 ..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

Tons Value to Average Value (long) Fishermen per pound

f. Cts. 4,100 131,000 29 4,650 166,656 32 4,770 170,976 32 4,000 147,840 33 4,250 166,425 35 4,971 194,863 35 5,109 229,112 40 4,189 234,584 50

APPENDIX J

TRADE IN GREEN TURTLES

Year NumberTaken 1 Approx. Value

416 166 220 128 128

f. 832 333 440 256 384

~/

APPENDIX K

AREA TANA RIVER OFF KIPINI-TRAWL 35ft. JAPANESE SHRJMP TRAWl.

Coloration of Catch Crustaceans Date Wind Current Depth Sea Bottom Water Dise. Fish

Fa th oms Reading lb. Prawns Crawfish Duration of lb. haul

1. 30-9-63 .. Var. Calm NE"LY 9/10 Mud/Sand 6' Cloudy 44 7t - 45 mins. Water

2. 30-9-63 0.

" " " " 6' 91 3 - 40 mins.

3. 30-9-63 0 0

" " " " Green Blue 251 2t - 35 mins. Water 28t'

4. 30-9-63 0 0

" " " " 13' 1 1 - 45 mins.

5. 30-9-63 0.

" " " Cloudy 6'

6. 30-9-63 .. " " " "

6' 82 18 - 40 mins. 7. 30-9-6:1 • 0

" ,. " Sand 6' 37 1/4 - 1 br. 5 mins.

8. 1-10-63 .. NE'LLY Mainly Mud/Sand 6" 116 21 48 mins. N'LY :

632 54!

TOTAL CATCH: FISH 632 lb. PRAWNS 54! lb.

REMARKS: Average Catch per 30 minutes Raul: Fish 63·2lb. Average Catch per 30 minutes Raul: Prawns 5·4lb.

TOTAL CATCH 686-!- lb.

Date

20-9-63 .. ..

20-9-63 .. .. 20-9-63 .. .. 20-9-63 .. .. 21-9-63 .. .. 21-9-63 .. .. 21-9-63 .. .. 21-9-63 .. .. 7-10-63 .. .. 8-10-63 .. ..

APPENDIX L AREA SABAKI AND MAMBRUI-TRAWL 35ft. JAPANESE SHRIMP TRAWL

Wind Current

SE'LY N.E.

SE'LY N.E.

" "- " " " E'LY

" NE'LY

" " " " " " " "

Coloration of Depth Sea Bottom Water Dise. Fish

Fathoms Reading lb. Prawns lb.

9 Mud/Sand Slight 56 36 Disco loration SechiRëading

·; 6·l-' 9/10 "

'6' 96 36

" 6-t' 111 11

" 7' 103 7

8/10 " 7' 91 6

8 "

6!-' 321 10 8/10

" 6!-' 2 1

8/10 " 6t' 33 8

9/10 "

9' 27 4 9/10

" 9' 73 10

913 129

TOTAL CATCH: FISH 913 lb. PRAWNS 129 lb. CRAWFISH 21lb.

REMARKs: Average Catch per 30 minutes Raul: Fish Average Catch per 30 minutes Raul: Prawns Average Catch per 30 minutes Raul: Crawfish

TOTAL CATCH: 1,063 lb.

Catch Crustaceans

Crawfish lb.

8

-1

-2

-7 1

-2

21

91·3 lb. 12·8 lb. 2·1lb.

Duration of haul

30 mins.

30 mins. 30 mins. 30mins. 40 mins. 30 mins. 35 mins. 20 mins. 35 mins. 40 mins.

28

APPENDIX M

GAME FISH CLUB RECORDS The following records have been officially recorded during 1963

Weight DateCaught Caught by

Lb. oz. ALL AFrucA REcoRDs-

Black Marlin .. . . 337 00 10-3-63 Mr. H. D. Hinde Blue Marlin . . .. 348 10 1-3-63 Mr. H. D. Hinde Striped Marlin . . .. 168 00 25-10-63 Mr. A. Soprani

~

ALL AFRICA LADIES RECORDS-Black Marlin .. . . 166 8 26-12-63 Mrs. V. Jackman Striped Marlin .. 99 00 10-10-63 Mrs. Boyt Wahoo .. . . . . 47 00 Mrs. C. F. Collins Rainbow Runner . . .. 15 00 Mrs. C. F. Collins

KENYA REcoRDS-Black Marlin .. . . 214 00 26-7-63 Mr. D. Partridge Striped Marlin .. . . 134 00 15-2-63 Mr. M. E. Aronson · Wahoo . . . . .. 52 5 28-10-63 Mr. D. J. Green Tuna . . .. . . 24 8 20-12-63 Mr. J. L. Brown Black Runner .. . . 66 00 3-2-63 Mr. E. A. M. Alleyne Sailfish . . .. . . 64 00 22-12-63 Mr. J. M. Brown

APPENDIX N

NET SETS BY RECORDING STATIONS-KENYA WATERS OF LAKE VICTORIA, JANUARYIMAY 1963 ·

Station 8" 7" 6" 5" 4·!-" 4" 3-!'' 3" 2-t" 2" 1-t" Total

Port Victoria .. - - - . 10,712 - - - - - 8,487 - 19,199 Nay a .. . . - - - - 58,338 - - - - - - 58,338 Kao . . .. - - - 10,222 - - - 132 15,586 - 3,627 29,567 Kaloka .. - - - - 19,137 - 775 - - - 83,288 103,200 Nanga .. .. - - - - 53,341 - - - 20,588 1,328 46,045 121,302 Nyamor .. - - - - 13,609 - - - 4,056 - 39,145 56,810

Total .. - - - 20,934 144,425 - 775 132 40,230 9,815 172,105 388,416

APPENDIX 0

NUMBER OF FISH CAUGHT AT RECORDING STATION~KENYA WATERS OF LAKE VICTORIA, JANUARY/MAY 1963

Station Net T. Esc. T. Var. T. Haplo- Labeo Barbus Mor- Clarias Schilbe A/estes Bagrus Pro top- Syno-Zillii chromis my rus ter us dontis

-Port Victoria .. .. 5" 3,747 3,746 - - - 7,826 2,240 1,679 - - 2,720 1,837 -

y - - - 344,157 24,730 - - - 16,747 5,527 - - 5,543

Naya .. .. .. 4t" 21,697 6,222 203 - - 1,841 1,645 1,600 - - 2,429 1,168 -

Kao .. .. .. 5" 1,798 - - - - 1,318 - 433 - - 764 214 -3" - - - - 95 - - - 26 - - - -2t" - - - - 17,953 - - - 5,985 - - - -w - - - - 6,233 - - - 1,476 - - - -

Kaloka .. .. 4t" 32,129 1,549 - - - 5 83 106 - - 1,702 396 -3t" 68,415 - - - - - - - - - - - -w - - - 1,244,134 2,418 - - - 2,171 476 - - -

Nanga .. .. .. 4t'' 37,970 694 4 - - 88 Il 1,345 - - 4,258 754 -2t" 26,089 - - 210,285 3,558 - - - 16,482 5,210 - - 4,531 2" 4,376 1,953 - 11,311 5,238 - - 138 3,384 2,114 - 72 2,320 w - - 3,216 844,944 18,205 - - - 41,533 32,391 - - 15,636

Nyamor .. .. 4t" 14,164 236 - - - 14 9 344 - - 651 316 -2t" 46,699 - - - 9,679 - - - 4,828 501 - - 225 w 128,678 - - 6,605,788 119,471 - 17 - 13,044 12,136 - - 1,880

w 0

t '

APPENDIX P

CATCH PER NET-SET BY SPECIES AND MESH SIZES-KENYA WATERS OF LAKE VICTORIA, JANUARY/MAY 1963

Mesh T. Esc. T. Var. T. Haplo- Labeo Barbus Mormy- Clarias Schilbe A lestes Bagrus Proto- Synodon- Ti/apia Ali Zilli chromis rus pterus tis on! y species

s· .. .. 0·26 0·18 - - - 0·43 0·10 0·10 - - 0·16 0·10 - 0·44 1-33 4t' .. .. 0·73 0·06 - - - 0·01 0·01 0·02" - - 0·06 0·02 - 0·79 0·91 w .. .. 88-40 - - - - - - - - - - - - 88·40 88·40 3H .. .. - - - - 0·72 - - - 0·20 - - - - - 0·92 2t' .. .. 1·81 - - 5·24 0·78 ·- - - 0·68 0·14 - - 0·12 1·81 8·77 2' .. .. 0·45 0·20 - 36·20 3·05 - - 0·01 2·0) 0·78 - 0·01 0·80 0·65 43·55 It' .. .. 0·75 - 0·02 50·50 0·85 - - - 0·34 0·26 - - 0·10 0·.77 52·82

--- _........_

32

APPENDIX Q

PRODUCTION OF FISH IN KENYA-1963

Are a Tonnage Value to Fishermen

Tons :€, Coast . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 4,189 234,584 Lake Victoria .. . . . . . . .. . . 11,641 713,952 Lake Baringo . . . . . . .. . . 600 24,142 Lake Naivasha . . . . . . . . .. 183 8,213 Lake Rudolf .. . . . . . . . . . . 1,270 5,715 Rivers, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,500 84,000 Fish Ponds Nyanza and Western Region .. . . 100 11,200

19,483 1,081,806 Other Marine Produce not included above-

Oyster Meats .. . . . . . . . . 2 2,525 Oyster Shell, crushed . . . . .. . . 120 3,000 Bêche-de-Mer (Freshweight) . . .. . . 21 420 Green Turtle . . . . .. . . . . 14 384 Crawfish .. . . . . . . .. . . 51 8,6q

TOTAL .. . . . . 19,691 1,096,750

Establishment

Chief Fisheries Officer (1)

Fisheries Offi.cers (6) 0 0

Fisheries Officers (Train-ees) (3)

G.P.K. 1501-720-5/64

DISPOSITION OF FISHERIES OFFICE~S: 31st DECEMBER 1963 ·-

Headquarters Coast Region Western Region Central Region Rift Valley Nairobi Region

' 1

C.E. P. Watson Malin di Kakamega K{ganjo Ferguson' s Gulf

G. C. Hamilton J.O. Olal J. R. Havard R. R. McConnel R. A. R. Mendhry '.

Nairobi Sagana R. N. Thiarara M. O. Ojoo

Kiganjo J. P. O. Agutu

APPENDIX R

/

Leave

W. A. Wilkinson

w w

.. -.... ..1·•

-~-