Enhancing adaptive management practices: a review and assessment of the effects of Small Community Areas (CCAs) on coral reefs

Recipient’s Country: Kenya

Recipient Name: Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute (KMFRI)

Purpose: This project aimed to promote and institutionalise improved management practices and policies in seven co-managed, no-take marine protected areas along the Kenyan coast. The project undertook participatory assessment of the effects of Communities Conserved Areas (CCAs) on biodiversity, with particular emphasis on the numbers of economically important reef fishes both inside and outside CCAs. It provided information on relative performance; and guided the development of outreach products to help share the findings with stakeholders and wider audiences (e.g. coastal managers, scientists, students, policy-makers and general public sectors). The project has been successfully completed.

Outputs

Aug-Sept 2012: Awareness raising programs held in community-conserved areas (Tengefu) targeting fishermen, Tengefu project managers and fisheries authority staff.
Oct-Dec 2012: Desktop review of 7 Tengefus (reports, focus groups) to better understand context and challenges
Jan-March 2013: Training of 3 community members from each Tengefu on underwater visual census (UVC) techniques and GPS mapping (22 trained in total).
April 2013: Participatory underwater assessment of benthic cover and reef fish within and outside selected Tengefus, to determined their impact on coral reefs and target fisheries resources
May-June 2013: Database development, data analysis and write up of technical report with results from surveys.
28 August 2013: Stakeholder workshop held with community representatives from Tengefus, to communicate main findings of the survey and raise awareness on current management issues facing coral reefs.

Outcomes

Joint work plans developed for each Tengefu
Improved awareness among local fishing community on the importance of protecting their resources.
Improved working relationship between local fishing communities, fisheries authorities and local county administrations; with willingness to use project findings for local planning and management efforts