Assessing the conservation status and economic importance of Kenya’s Marlin fisheries

Nelly Kadagi

Worldwide, populations of threatened blue and black marlin are declining due to unsustainable fisheries and diminutive determination to conserve them. In Kenya, information about these species is poorly understood resulting in no species specific plans of action being developed. We aim to advance the knowledge on catch efforts, threats status and economic importance of the two marlin species. We will achieve this by working with fishermen and other stakeholders in five sites along the Kenya coast. We will collect data on marlin catch sizes, quantify threats and educate the fishermen on sustainable marlin fisheries. This will be done through interviews, questions and awareness activities. We will also use available historical data. We hope to contribute to the conservation of these species by feeding into the process of developing management strategies at national and regional level.