Publication Date:
2021-05-19
Description:
Data on the spiny lobster fishery landings from the Kenya coast from the period 1972-1991 indicate a stable fishery of 70 mt annually. The Lamu district contributes over 53% of the landings. The species Panulirus ornatus contributes over 90% of the lobster catch. Spiny lobsters are Kenya's most valuable seafood resource on a price per weight basis. The growth in the tourist industry on the Kenya coast has led to the construction of many beach hotels. As a result of the popularity of the lobsters, the increase in the number of tourists into the hotels has led to the rise in their cost. On the other hand, the hotel discharge their wastes, particularly raw sewage, into the sea. This, together with other wastes from the urban centres, is a threat to the habitats of the spiny lobsters, namely: the mangrove swamps, seagrass and seaweed beds and the coral reefs. These habitat are further threatened with the increasing pressure on them by tourists, boats and fishermen, who go around collecting sea shells for aesthetic purposes, throwing wastes into the sea, for example tin cans, wrappers and plastics, and destroying the coral reef. These, together with increased shore developments such as urbanization and industrialization and the pollution originating from them, threaten the water quality and the lobster fishery. Observations conducted on the Kenya coast show that juveniIe spiny lobsters frequent mangrove forests and that the adults are found in the coral reefs and rocky bottoms. This paper presents further material on the growth of mortality and exploitation rate of the spiny lobsters. It presents management regulations on the lobster fishery.
Description:
Published
Keywords:
Environmental impact
;
Lobster fisheries
;
Tourism
;
Coastal fisheries
;
Artisanal fishing
;
Marine fisheries
;
Water quality
Repository Name:
AquaDocs
Type:
Report Section
,
Not Known
Format:
pp.114-123
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