East African coastal women shift to tourism and restoration work

Women along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast are opening beachside restaurants and managing mangrove nurseries after years of declining fish catches. In Malindi, a 54-year-old former fisherwoman now directs workers preparing a new restaurant that will use fishing nets as decoration.

The project is one of several efforts across East Africa where coastal communities are moving into tourism, beekeeping and habitat restoration. A 30-member women's group near the Sabaki River runs both a mangrove nursery and a restaurant with support from a Canadian-funded conservation program.

Declining catches and new pressures Fishers in Lamu report that daily catches have fallen from as much as 100 kilograms to less than 30 kilograms. Kenyan law limits trawlers to waters at least five nautical miles offshore, but fishers say some vessels operate closer to shore at night.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs the global economy an estimated $23 billion annually, according to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization. The same pressures affect communities in Tanzania's Zanzibar archipelago and in Mozambique, where sea-grass restoration projects are also under way.

Treaty and policy developments At a recent ocean conference in Mombasa, conservation groups called on African governments to ratify the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement. The treaty, which entered into force in January, had been ratified by 81 countries as of April.

One project director said communities that depend on the ocean are also its best stewards when local people lead conservation work. Another organizer stated that supporting aquaculture and eco-tourism helps families adapt while reducing pressure on marine resources.