Along the east side of Wasini island, Kwale county, Kenya, lies the sleepy village of Mkwiro; home to less than 2000 people. Like many coastal communities, Mkwiro’s residents are largely dependent on fishing and tourism, unable to pursue agricultural activities due to infertile soil and difficult weather seasons. Disconnected from services like electricity and water supply, residents fit the “off-grid” bill to a tee- surviving on kerosene lighting, small portable solar panels, and harvested rainwater. Sadly, overfishing along the Kenyan coast has devastated catches and deteriorated reefs.
“Along the Kenyan Coast, most of the fishermen get their food directly from the reef. Most of them rely heavily on the reef. This means that there is a lot of pressure on the reef.” Pwani University master’s student, Hamadi Mwamlavya
Compounded by destructive fishing practices, pollution (including eutrophication), invertebrate collection/the curio trade, and climate change, the coral reefs around Mkwiro struggle to support growing populations.
“[Fishermen are using] spear guns and monofilament nets; they put them along the reef and they pull. They’re breaking corals - they’re doing it for survival, they don’t understand.” Mkwiro Beach Management Unit committee member, Mohamed Hamisi
Amidst this devastation, the residents of Mkwiro have decided to take a stand. Together with REEFolution Foundation, Mkwiro residents (under the banner of Mkwiro Beach Management Unit (BMU)) have collaborated to establish and run a co-management area (CMA), with the goal of restoring reef health and reviving fish populations - in turn boosting livelihoods through artisanal fishing and tourism.
The project which was officially launched in January 2019 also aims to increase understanding and support of marine conservation across Mkwiro.
“The problem is that the corals have been destroyed and the fish have disappeared. And we are experiencing problems. We cannot educate our children. I chose to work with the BMU to gain knowledge and have time to educate others. This project is important because it allows for fish breeding which will support future generations.” Mkwiro fisherman, Mwalimu Athumani
Within the CMA, only traditional fishing methods are allowed, i.e. handline fishing (mshipi) and fishing with traps (dema). Dumping of waste and anchoring are strictly prohibited.
There is also a no-take zone within the CMA, where a coral nursery will be built by BMU members to grow coral and begin reef restoration.
Within this no-take zone, fishing, dumping, dredging, construction, and removal of resources is completely prohibited. The goal is to revitalize the fish community and ensure a healthy breeding population for diverse and overharvested species such as emperors, sweetlips, groupers, octopus and endangered species like dolphins and turtles.
“When you’re diving a bit further where there are no [coral nursery] structures you won’t really see a lot of fish, but when you come to the structures that’s when you’ll find a lot of fish. These kind of structures are very important for the future of fisheries in Kenya.” REEFolution intern, Mgeni Wamwachai
At the core of this CMA project is the spirit of collaboration. To ensure that the CMA is properly managed and monitored, public participation has been prioritized, ensuring that local communities feel heard and seen on issues regarding reef restoration. Giving ownership and responsibility to local communities is extremely vital in ensuring that the CMA and no-take zones are protected beyond the life of the project - in short, local engagement for conservation is key.
The benefits to Mkwiro of a healthy and thriving coral reef system are vast, not only for present generations but for future ones as well. This reef restoration project is, therefore, a critical undertaking, which will hopefully achieve the REEFolution mission to “restore coral reefs together with local communities to improve biodiversity and livelihood conditions, thereby raising awareness on the importance of sustaining natural resources.
This project is supported by the State Department of Fisheries (SDF), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Wageningen University and Research (WUR).
Credits:
All images in this article are credited to Ewout Knoester - REEFolution Foundation.