Patience Pays Off
Octopus Fisherwomen in Kenya Benefit from the Science of Recovery Times
This is an adapted excerpt from an article written and published by our partners The Nature Conservancy on the 27th February, entitled Patience Pays Off.
MEET AMINA AHMED A group of fisherwomen took a big leap of faith: They closed off an octopus fishery — a critical source of food and income — for four months. The results showed promise for healthier communities and marine ecosystems.
Amina Ahmed describes herself as “Mama Pweza (Mama Octopus).” She’s been fishing for octopuses in her village since she was a teenager. For Amina and many other women in this region, octopus fishing provides a primary source of income and food for their families.
The process is done much like traditional spear fishing — one quick jab and the octopus is collected in a bucket. This method of fishing works well for women, because it requires few resources and can be done in shallow waters. Men, who often have better swimming skills and fishing equipment, can access deeper and more productive octopus fishing grounds.
But in Lamu, fishers like Amina were catching fewer and smaller octopuses. While the data on octopus stocks in Kenya is limited, recent reports indicate the fishery is experiencing over-fishing, habitat destruction, and increasing demand. The challenge is, while the fishery is open access and regulated, it does not have octopus-specific legislated management measures.
Because the octopus fishery is so important in Lamu County — where dependence on the marine ecosystem is high and livelihood options are few and far between — the fisher community knew taking active measures could have a big impact on them and the environment.
IN THE SHALLOWS Amina Ahmed fishes for octopus after the opening of the octopus no-take zone in Lamu County, Kenya. © Roshni Lodhia
Reversing the Trend
Amina’s village is one of 10 villages that make up the Pate Marine Community Conservancy (PMCC), which is a conservancy member of NRT. Over the last few years, TNC, NRT, the county government of Lamu, and other agencies have worked to expand community-based conservation efforts. Recent successes include establishing fisheries co-management plans for the Beach Management Units (BMUs), training community members in science-based monitoring systems, applying the FishPath tool to increase the sustainability of lobster, octopus, and other fisheries, and empowering women leaders through customized training and a management programme targeting women’s associations.
In April 2018, seven representatives from TNC, NRT, and PMCC participated in a learning exchange to southwest Madagascar. Among the group was Firdaus Athman, a community scout and radio operator for PMCC. She was particularly inspired by the village of Andavadoaka’s results in temporarily closing their octopus fishery, and when she returned she became one of the driving forces behind the creation of a women’s fishing association around PMCC.
The concept was simple, but the key would be to get the women’s association to agree to the idea of closing an important octopus fishery. They were nervous, and for good reason: What if the plan didn’t work? They were being asked to give up their income — however scant it had become — for four whole months. Yet after many months of meetings, discussions, and building awareness and trust, they took a big leap of faith.
WOMEN IN THE LEAD Women participate in a team-building activity during their leadership and management program (LAMP) training session in Lamu County, Kenya. © Roshni Lodhia
A Daring Experiment
In January 2019, the three BMUs from Shanga-Ishakani, Shanga Rubu, and Pate villages came together and agreed to close off a 1-square-kilometer area. The community members developed their own rules, including a minimum weight limit for each octopus caught, the percentage of proceeds that would go into the Women’s Association bank account, and punitive measures for those who broke the rules.
The fishery reopened in May for five days to underwhelming results. But the women were not deterred. They identified poaching as a key challenge and as a result, the PMCC rangers increased their efforts in monitoring and patrolling the fishery.
After the second re-opening in September 2019, the women were hopeful for better results, and dozens of fishers descended to the beach with their buckets. This time, the results of the closure were decisive. A total of 868 kilograms (1,913 pounds) of octopus were caught in four days by 70 fisherwomen, up from the 186 kilograms (410 pounds) of mostly smaller octopuses from May. The fisherwomen now had leverage, and negotiated higher prices for their octopus catches.
“After the four-month closure, we got a large harvest of octopuses,” Amina said. “I have plans to now expand my small business [selling sundries] with the profits. We as fisherwomen are overjoyed.”
HAPPY TIMES Kids play in Shanga-Ishakani village on Pate Island, Kenya. © Roshni Lodhia
PMCC now aims to establish more temporary octopus closures with opening sessions that rotate throughout the year. And news of the success is spreading: Neighboring Kiunga Community Conservancy has recently started discussions to replicate the model after lessons from PMCC were shared during a learning exchange.
The octopus closure is just one way community conservancies are working with partners to sustainably manage critical coastal marine habitats in ways that also deliver community benefits.
This is an adapted excerpt from an article written and published by our partners The Nature Conservancy on the 27th February, entitled Patience Pays Off. Thank you to all of our partners, including Pate Marine Community Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, Fauna and Flora International, Blue Ventures, the Royal Danish Embassy, Kenya Fisheries Service, the United States Agency for International Development, Kenya Wildlife Service, and Lamu County government.
