Eco-Ethics International Union: EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Reports

One of the prime go-aheads of the EEIU Mombasa Chapter is environmental education awareness and action, whose focal goal is to create both inter-generational and intra-generational environmental consciousness. In the pursuit of setting in motion this noble but challenging mandate, EEIU Mombasa has reckoned it necessary to run its Eco-Club Programme, which is keen on instilling a deep-seated message of environmental conservation through mobilizing and empowering pupils and students in various learning institutions (including kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, and others). The Eco-Club programme plays a foremost role in tapping and building the relevant knowledge and talents that young people are endowed with for an environmental conservation agenda whose ultimate upshot is attaining the practicality of the philosophy, "harmonizing the relationship between man and nature", hence assurance of a safer environment of the future generation.

1. Commemoration of World Desertification Day at St. Augustine

St. Augustine is a primary school at which EEIU Mombasa has the Eco-Club programme operating. In a bid to mark the 2005 World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) on June 17, 2005, EEIU Mombasa identified the St. Augustine Primary School in Tudor, to be the site in which it would join the rest of the world in marking the WDCD through mobilizing the members of the eco-club to plant trees in the school compound. This particular event would be used to beef-up the explanation of the causes, impacts and ways of curbing one of the world's most traumatizing phenomena to the young Kenyans. However, due to inescapable circumstances, EEIU Mombasa did not undertake the planned activity, which was then reconsidered as St. Augustine Eco-club's tree planting activity and scheduled for June 23. The activity thus referenced both WDCD and the national tree planting season which had recently launched in Mombasa district.

EEIU Mombasa organized and coordinated the activity with the help of the Club's patron and the school's management.

Event rationale and relevance
Desertification can be defined as the spread of desert-like conditions to non-desert areas. It has been suggested that this phenomenon takes place through cyclic processes aggravated by anthropogenic activities. A key stage of the process is deforestation. Since a town school, especially in Kenya, includes pupils from different parts of the country, some of which are faced with the unforgiving effects of desertification, and recognizing that young people will make the next generation, providing an affirmative and proactive environmental education for them is of paramount importance. Afforestation (tree planting), a preventive measure against desertification, is a practice worth teaching to young children in both formal and informal educational atmospheres. Based on the ideas that "charity begins at home" and "a long journey of a thousand miles starts with one step", and recognizing that young children are infamous for sharing information through a multiplier effect, it is valid to argue that such an activity prepares young children to fight potential enemies of the natural environment without becoming engaged in physical squabbles.

Without sufficient forage cover, the school's compound, which borders the Indian Ocean, may be subject to the devastating dangers of abnormal high tides or a tsunami. Tree planting is a proactive measure to protect such a highly vulnerability setting from abnormally strong waves. As well, the school is situated along a road and is therefore open to dust in the air from motor vehicles, which could expose the pupils to health hazards such as respiratory diseases. Tree planting along the fence will arrest the dust that would otherwise reach the school compound. Being in a town setting, tree planting will also help in increasing the size of the carbon sink.

Activities of the day

a) The exercise
The day's main activity was planting 40 Casuarina equicentifolia and Eucalyptus ssp. trees along the compound's fence. The seedlings were donated by the forestry department, Mombasa District. The pupils were mobilized by Chapter staff and Eco-Club Patron Madam Mose. The school management is to be commended for its outstanding support of the preparation of the holes and for permitting the Eco-Club members to participate in an activity outside the school's program.

With the help of Chapter staff, students fenced the trees using sticks and pegs to protect the seedlings from being trampled by playful pupils. Club members are determined to take care of the trees by guarding them from physical damage or drought.

b) Information exchange
The purpose of this event was to create an environment for practical learning. The information exchange between the pupils and the Chapter staff was anchored in the day's activity - tree planting - although it was informal. The pupils' major concern was to determine the event significance. Questions thrown at the EEIU Mombasa staff by the pupils, who seemed to have been enthused by the exercise, included asking the names and characteristics (i.e. root systems) of the trees planted as well as the importance of trees and tree planting.

The staff's general response to the pupils' concern directly articulated in simple language that suited the understanding of the young pupils. Staff members adopted a "get the answer from the asker" approach by identifying mature Casuarinas ssp and Eucalyptus ssp trees in the compound and asking the pupils to match them with the young seedlings which had just been planted. The pupils correctly matched the trees with their corresponding seedlings. After ensuring that each of the pupils was conversant with the two terrestrial trees, the Chapter staff helped students identify the trees with their correct names as Casuarinas and Eucalyptus. Members explained that these trees have roots penetrating deeper soil, called "deep roots". Chapter representatives told the Eco-Club members that in the future EEIU Mombasa will teach them the English and the botanical names of the trees using name tags or plates.

To educate the students on the significance of trees, with the participation of the pupils Chapter staff identified some of the reasons trees are important. These included:

Act as wind breaks, hence they can break strong winds from the ocean that would otherwise be detrimental to buildings
Break the devastating effects of strong waves like tsunami
Clean the air by absorbing carbon in the atmosphere, thus contributing to preventing global warming
Control soil loss from soil erosion
Can be used for fuel, especially in rural communities
Are used for making construction timber and poles
Trap dust which might otherwise cause respiratory diseases
Create shade, hence helping to cool the area underneath, which might otherwise experience high temperatures, causing discomfort to humans (typical of the coast environment)

The pupils were keen to know the medicinal use of trees. Mr. Barua, an EEIU staff member, explained that the medicinal uses of trees are appraised differently depending on the value systems of various communities. One tree species might be seen as exhibiting medicinal values by a particular community while another community might not. Nevertheless, Mr. Barua explained to the inspired pupils, there are certain tree species that are widely exploited by many communities to treat different diseases, such as the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica), locally known as the Mwarubaini and Lantana Camara.

Concerning the importance of tree planting, Chapter officials explained to the pupils that the district's vegetation cover has gone down due to development. Owing to massive industrial activities in the town, there is a great amount of obnoxious fumes in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide. Thus, increasing the vegetative volume of the region is absolutely imperative if the detrimental results of excessive atmospheric carbon accumulation is to be avoided. Since the school is situated along a road, Chapter officials explained that tree planting at the school will increase the number of dust arresters in the compound, which might otherwise lead to pupils developing respiratory complications.

EEIU Mombasa officials explained that in Kenya as a whole the rate of forest exploitation has gone far beyond its ability to regenerate, which has led to the gradual spread of desert-like conditions (desertification) to once forested areas. Pupils were told that afforestation or tree planting is a requisite step to rein in this human-kindled phenomenon.

Success of the event
The general question worth asking is, "Was the event a success? If yes, what were the indicators of the success?" The event's success rate was based on the below evaluation benchmarks.

Availability of seedling to be planted: Taking into consideration that EEIU Mombasa does not have a tree nursery, it would be quite tricky to obtain sufficient seedlings for the activity. The Chapter had planned to plant at least forty seedlings at the school. EEIU Mombasa requested the Mombasa district forestry department to donate seedlings. The positive result: The forestry department donated fifty seedlings, of which EEIU Mombasa collected forty (thirty Casuarinas and ten Eucalyptus).
The coordination and organization by the school management contributed tremendously to the event's success by first and foremost allowing the activity to take place in the school compound on a school day and by providing both digging tools and workforce for digging the seedling holes. This organization is quite unique as most schools may only allow such an activity on a weekend and only if full responsibility is retained by the facilitating organization.
Participation of the club members: The members perceived the activity as profitable both in terms of conservation matters and education. The joy of the pupils that they had learned two species of trees that day proved irresistible. The pupils' urge to plant more trees was expressed verbally and by their behavior. The usefulness of both trees and tree planting was internalized deeply by the pupils.
The interaction between the pupils and the Chapter staff indicated a bridged gap between the learners and the educators. This socialization was a good channel for the environmental education conducted.
Time maintenance was impressive despite the vacillating weather. The activity began on time and within forty five minutes the mission and objective of the day had been achieved, posing limited inconvenience to the school program.

2. Eco Trip

Introduction
A marine environmental trip was organized by the chapter in collaboration with Peake Tours with the objective of creating environmental awareness amongst the youths in certain learning institutions. This program aimed at improving the level of importance and understanding of environmental conservation of aquatic and terrestrial life with emphasis on the latter.

Students assembled at the Travelers Beach Hotel in the morning, where Peake Tour guides gave them a brief introduction about the tour and the safety measures to be taken. Since the tide was low, the students were requested to walk around 800m to the boat which was to ferry them into the Mombasa Marine Park. The park, which was formed in 1947 to maintain the natural serenity of species found in waters, is around 2 km from shore. Mr. Tuda (Park Warden, Kenya Wildlife Society), who guided the students throughout the tour, was instrumental in helping them identify the different sea animals and plants, their importance and the threats they face due to anthropogenic activities. The trip took around two hours.

Discussion
After the trip a discussion session about marine ecosystem degradation and conservation measures was presided over by Chapter staff. The talk's objectives were:

To assist the pupils in internalizing the interaction between marine ecosystem and man
To give the pupils information on ways in which the marine ecosystem can be degraded
To inform the pupils about the consequences of marine ecosystem degradation
To assist the pupils in identifying and comprehending their roles in marine conservation

The pupils were then led in a recap session about what they had seen and learnt from the waters (Marine Park). Their responses included:

Sea grass
Sea animals - different fish species, octopus, sea anemones, star fish, sea cucumbers, etc
Coral - dead and living
Salty water

Also worth noting was the session on interaction between fauna and flora. The presentation materials in part read "...the biotic components consist of both the marine flora and fauna while the abiotic components consist of all the non-living things in the sea including water, coral reefs etc...", which elicited many questions from the students. From their study in the Marine Park, the pupils learnt that a food web exists in the marine ecosystem in which the biotic components prey on one another, hence the energy flow. Abiotic components provide a habitat for the biotic components, while living organisms in the marine environment to an extent lead the development of some non-living entities (i.e., coral is made from dead polyps).

Importance of marine environment to humans
The interaction between humans and the marine environment was explained, such that humans interact with the marine environment on a daily basis in the quest to meet their daily needs. After a long debate it was agreed that the marine environment has proved vital for the existence of man in various ways including:

Marine animals are sources of food for humans. Sea fish feed a number of people both locally and worldwide. People, especially local fishermen, prefer sea fish to other protein sources (like beef) which are relatively expensive. Other marine animals like crabs, octopus, snails, prawns, cucumbers, lobsters and starfish are also eaten by a good number of people around the world.
The marine ecosystem also promotes tourism. Both local and foreign tourists are attracted to the scenic features of the marine environment such as the corals, marine animals and plants, aesthetic beaches and sea breezes. The pupils understood that they were acting as of local tourists during their tour. Foreign tourists come from Europe and the Americas to enjoy the beauty of Kenya's marine environment, hence earning Kenya foreign exchange. Tourism in general leads to the economic development of a country.
The marine environment also provide means of transport. The ocean has been widely used for transport since historical times. Large cargo from and to other countries are preferably transported by water. Kilindini Harbor handles millions of tones of goods and raw materials to and from other countries. In this aspect, the ocean helps in promoting international trade (imports and exports) and eventual regional and international cooperation.
The marine environment provides raw materials for specific industries. Fish processing industries, for example, depend on marine fish as their raw material. In Japan and Pacific countries marine fish are exploited in tons for the fish processing industries. Salt can also be manufactured from sea water; Magharini division in Malindi is an example.
Coral reefs protect the man-made features from the destructive effects of strong waves during high tides. Experts say that the East African Coast was not affected much by the 2004 tsunami due to its well established coral reefs.
The marine environment also provides employment opportunities either directly or indirectly. Fishermen get their daily income from fishing expeditions. Marine ecologists and biologists are employed due to the existence of the marine ecosystem. Beach operators, boat operators, tour guides, beach boys, and hotel industries are either directly or indirectly enhanced by the existence of oceans.
The marine environment, if used in an appropriate way, could act as a pool to assimilate industrial, municipal, agricultural and domestic wastes. Most industries and municipal sewage are drained or eventually find their way into the oceans.
The marine environment provides recreational opportunities. Swimming and other water sports are mostly done in the sea and oceans. Photography can also be done on the ocean features.
The marine environment has been exploited for research and educational purposes. Marine researchers explore the seas and oceans to obtain the primary data desired, while pupils and students visit oceans and marine parks on educational tours.

Marine environment degradation

Shifting focus, the talk was then continued on the various ways in which the marine environment can be degraded. Some ways which were identified are outlined below.

Over-exploitation of marine resources: Excessive fishing by fishing communities may exceed the recruitment rate of fish species. The use of poor fishing equipment aggravates this situation. The unsustainable exploitation of fish resources and other marine life undermines the use of these resources for present and future generations.

Coral degradation, whether from impeding growth or destroying already grown corals through profligate navigation and pollution and degradation is another critical area of concern. As people move about the ocean, their boats may knock into the young coral, hence impeding growth.

Pollution: Untreated wastes from factories and municipal sewers may kill certain marine animals and plants. Oil spills cause the death of marine fish and other animals. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POS) may be absorbed into the biological systems of the marine biota, which may eventually prove detrimental to life forms at the higher levels of the food chain.

Profligate actions of marine visitors like tourists: Some people are not careful how they walk along beaches and in marine parks. Frequently they step on and kill small marine animals like crabs or leave solid wastes on the beaches, posing a threat to the marine ecosystem.

The hotel industry has also its blame concerning marine environment degradation. The construction of walls along beaches and shores interferes with natural wave action, leading to erosion and siltation.

The role of pupils in marine conservation

After discussing the ways in which the marine environment can be degraded, it was therefore imperative to learn some things which pupils can do to save the marine environment from degradation. These included:

Advocacy - For example through undertaking processions or petitions against activities that undermine the wellbeing of the ocean and marine ecosystem in totality or in part. Students can also advocate through the media with the help of their schools and environmental institutions.

Environmental education - This can be done through debates, art work, or artistic performances like songs, poems, photography, drawings, plays and drama. Short essays and pupil-to-pupil and pupil-to-parent interactions about marine life can also be employed.

Participating in major events on the marine environment - Such as Marine Environment Day, International Coastal Clean-up, and World Environment Day

Taking action - For example, organizing beach clean-ups, correct disposal of solid wastes, taking care not to kill or destroy marine entities during marine tours and trips, mangrove reforestation and aforestation, etc.

It was stressed that these actions can only be successful if the pupils work in unity as a group, thus the significance of the eco-clubs.

Question and answer session
This session aimed at confirming whether the activity's objectives were met. Chapter staff asking the following questions of the pupils and club patrons. Their summarized answers are below.

Q1 - What did you see in the marine park?
A - Fishes, lobster, sea anemones, sea cucumber, octopus, living and dead coral, star fish and sea grass

Q2 - Of what are marine ecosystems comprised?
A - Salty water, sea animals, sea plants, dead corals, seabed

Q3 - What is coral made of?
A - Polyps

Q4 - How is coral important?
A - Breeding place for fish, reduce force of strong waves

Q5 - How do we benefit from the marine environment?
A - Nutrition, tourism, income, employment, transportation, recreation, education, industries

Q6 - What are ways through which the marine ecosystem can be destroyed?
A - Pollution, overexploitation, careless tourism expedition, hotel wall construction, etc.

Q7 - What is your role as an Eco-Club member to control marine degradation?
A - Advocacy, educating others, taking action, participation in major marine events

Q8 - What are you going to do to save our Indian Ocean?
A - Write a poem about it, write an essay about it, tell my parents and friends about conserving the ocean, refrain from harming marine animals when I visit the ocean, participate in beach clean-ups, write stories about harm to polluters, etc.

Q9 - Are you happy with the trip? If yes, why?
A - Of course yes. I have seen sea life, had fun with it and I now know how to protect it from damage. In fact, I am going to talk and write about it. But I will not forget to tell people to preserve, if not conserve, it.

CONCLUSION

The realization of sustained development as proposed in the 1987 Brundtland Report and other subsequent relevant conferences and conventions such as the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de' Janeiro) and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) should not be construed solely as adults' and the working class's responsibility. Children, especially school-age, are both ingredients and fuel to this intricate idea. Desertification and its major root cause -deforestation - are the worst enemies of this concept. Practices tending to discourage these two enemies of sustainable development, such as tree planting, should be encouraged among school-age children. This is the secret that EEIU Mombasa has discovered at this time when the whole world is spreading its needy hands for any helpful idea for terminating the unforgiving (and human-induced) desertification and its subsequent ills to both the socio-economic and physic-biological milieu.

Report, 02 June 2004 (from Chair Okeyo Benards)

Seminar Proceedings: 7-8 May 2004

Venue: University of Nairobi Marine Sciences Field Station, Diani, Mombasa

Theme: Building capacities of artisanal fishermen in the Mombasa coastal region, for wise resource mobilization, utilization and management for sustainable development

Compiled by: Okeyo Benards
Contributions from: George O. Katete, Barua Omar Mshenga, Alice Kaleve and Samson Omolo

Editor's Note: Report truncated. The full Report (66 pages, Word) may be requested from EEIU Kenya/Mombasa.

Full report contents include:

Summary
Realizations from the workshop
Other general observations
Recommendations from the workshop
Specific seminar objectives
INTRODUCTIONS & OPENING REMARKS
EEIU President's speech
Lighthouse Foundation CEO's speech
EEIU Kenya Chapter Chair's welcoming address
DFO's opening remarks
PRESENTATIONS BY RESOURCE PERSONS
EEIU Kenya implemented community-based projects
Local community group formation processes, challenges and relevance in management of local resources as well as soliciting additional external help for local projects
Conservation of biodiversity through sustainable use of natural resources: mangroves and fisheries management
Conservation of biodiversity through sustainable use of natural resources
Sanitation aspect of fish handling facilities & working premises
Health and sanitation requirements for a fishing community
Local community group formation as a prerequisite for human and resource mobilization for local initiatives and management for sustainable development
Mandates, operation areas and activities of EEIU Kenya
HIV/AIDS and its effects in productivity among fishing communities
APPENDICES
Acronyms
Agenda for seminar
List of participants

Summary

Economic empowerment of local communities has remained elusive even with concerted efforts from the government as well as the voluntary movement. Poverty continues to eat into our local communities and the people who once had hope of better days sink into the web of survival from hand to mouth, unable to build strategies to counter this menace. Systems developed from other places of the world have not been very successful and currently emphasis is being put on energizing the communities to develop their own home-grown solutions and enactment of structures that are not only formidable but also sustainable in terms of resources of time, money and people.

The artisanal fishery along the Kenyan coast is one such area that yearns for development. The policies on marine fisheries exploitation have not been clear and even in cases where they have been, the muscle to implement them has been lacking. Thus we have today a group of isolated fishermen spread along the coast with dilapidated gear, no organized groups and lacking the ability to improve their trade. This lot, because of their isolation has not garnered the skills and force to speak and let their problems be known. Worse, the big tourism industry has annihilated the group as one only thinks of the coastal region of Kenya and the tourism business as though there are no local artisanal fishermen doing their trade in the same region.

Local artisanal fishermen together with local fisheries exploitation is one area of major concern to Eco-Ethics International Union-Kenya Chapter, a registered NGO whose other two mandates are; research on marine ecological themes as well issues touching on socio-economic and socio-cultural aspects. Another major mandate of EEIU-Kenya is environmental action and education which is mainly being carried out by its outreach arm in schools and colleges, the ECO-CLUBS.

EEIU-Kenya's entrance into the scene has been that of working together with the fishermen to better their plight, and, by extension, assist towards the sustainability of the coastal resources with more emphasis on fishery resources. This continues to be done through research tailored to provide solutions for some of the most pressing issues such as clash of interests among stakeholders and also development of strategies that could be adopted to manage these resources sustainably and with increased benefit to the local artisanal fishermen.

From our foregoing works and interactions with the various stakeholders along the coast, one perspective that has become clear is the need to form and, in cases where they exist, strengthen fishermen groups. With the groups, local fishermen hold a better bargaining power to market their fish catches, solicit for funds and make their case known to policy makers and other developmental agencies. EEIU-Kenya has also been instrumental in assisting to erect 'Improved fish Bandas' at the fish landing sites for the betterment of the fish handling and storage besides other vital uses like storage of fishing gear, assembly points and refuge against weather. Additionally, together with the various fishermen groups already established, EEIU-Kenya is currently putting up improved pit latrines as a further step towards improving the sanitation levels within these sites and to further assist in marketing the products.

This particular seminar is among a series of others that is meant to:

Assist in capacity building of the beach landing sites management committees, or the self-help groups found or initiated along these beach landing sites to levels where they can possibly manage and improve on those facilities like improved bandas, pit latrines and other infrastructure necessary for artisanal fishermen
To share experiences about effectiveness and relevance of local groups in successfully managing affairs at beach landing sites and improving the socio-economic well-being of the artisanal fishermen
How best to reconcile different interest groups within landing sites and find ways of co-opting many artisanal fishermen into these groups
Ways of making these groups functionally active and systems for making them motivating and riveting to the diverse interests with the intention of improving not only the economic well-being of the fishermen but also on the sustainable exploitation of the coastal resources
To act as forums for bringing together the various stakeholders along the Kenyan coast and creating a chance for discussing the various interests and possible compromises that can be enacted

Realizations from the workshop

Out of the 41 landing sites gazetted at the south coast of Kenya only two have an improved fish banda with a minimal capacity of fish storage facilities. This number is expected to rise following the development of additional improved fish Bandas by EEIU-Kenya.
Many of the gazetted landing sites have either been grabbed or developed by private developers and thus are non-existent on the ground.
The local communities have not accessed many of the research findings that have been done in this area and are thus not informed of the situation of fishery resources within their fishing areas.
Some institutions lamented the lack of adequate data from the fisheries department and cited many cases of inconsistency.
Local fishermen blamed the fisheries department for lethargy in tackling illegal fishing practices and lack of action even in cases where reports were filed with the fisheries offices.
There is a lack of alternatives to fishing available to artisanal fishermen. Fishermen lamented that despite years of experiments with other alternatives like seaweed farming not much seems to have been realized.
Public health officers noted with concern the lack of sanitation facilities within the fish landing sites and inadequate fish handling and storage facilities.
Many appreciated the construction of the improved fish Bandas as constructed with assistance from Eco-Ethics International Union-Kenya Chapter and urged that these efforts be enhanced.
The seminar noted that local artisanal fishermen are lacking in fishing gear, especially those that can be used beyond the lagoons.
Availability of rich traditionally acquired knowledge that can be incorporated in the sustainable management of the coastal resources.

Observations

'One of the cardinal aims of this meeting is to bring together representatives of various community groups especially those that deal with artisanal fisheries, government arms involved and other development partners in exploring ways of making these groups more viable and capable of managing initiatives already entrusted to them even as they endear to have more developmental projects implemented.' Okeyo Benards, Chair & Coordinator, opening remarks

'Wise mobilization, utilization and management of local resources are noble goals that serve fishermen, society and nature. Approaching such goals is the key for achieving sustainable relations between human needs and ecological carrying capacities.' Prof. Dr. Otto Kinne, President EEIU, opening speech read by Kenya Chapter Chair

'From my point of view this is very important because sustainable development is for me not primarily an investment in buildings and infrastructure but at its core it is a development of perception and a process of social and cultural interaction...' Jens Ambsdorf, CEO Lighthouse Foundation, the projects' Funding Agency

'The EEIU-Kenya projects of facilitating the construction of pit latrines at the beach landing sites are a blessing in disguise. What with the potential of reducing disease incidences and improving on the level of sanitation in areas that house majority of our local fishermen several hours a day...' Mr. Bolo, District Fisheries Officer, Kwale District

'It is going to be a big challenge for EEIU-Kenya and other related stakeholders to ensure that there will be follow-up to all that has been deliberated upon during this two day forum. The government is always encouraged by efforts made by institutions and groupings that help in initiating development activities or projects within the community, and therefore I want to pledge government support whenever called upon.' D.O. Msabweni Division, closing remarks read by Chief Kinondo location

'The putting up of improved pit latrines is a big step in extending improved sanitation standards to some of our remote areas, and I want to urge all stakeholders involved to take care and maintain these facilities.' Mr. Kisa, Public Health Officer-Diani

'We have known Eco-Ethics as a team builder, a booster of our morale and a body that really is concerned with our plight, the fishermen. I think we should urge them not to contend with success already achieved but to continue with the good job and they will have all our support and prayers.' Ali Juma Yusuf, Artisanal Fisherman, Gazi

Workshop Recommendations

All landing sites should be gazetted and freed from grabbers and private developers and put under the management of beach management committees.
Results from all research undertakings should be disseminated to local people and if possible trials made from the recommendations.
There is need to form fishermen groups or strengthen them at respective fish landing sites for economic advancement of the fishermen.
The capacity of the fishermen groups should be enhanced to ensure transparency of management of funds and for better record keeping, which are prerequisites for any credit facilities from any financial institution.
Some small fee should be charged by the fishermen groups to assist to maintain the constructed fish Bandas and the pit latrines, whose management should rest with the leadership of the fishermen groups at respective landing sites.
There should be closer involvement of the fisheries department in group management as well as in the general challenges facing the artisanal fishermen.
There is need to identify other alternatives for artisanal fishermen, like sea weed farming and exploitation of mangrove products, to reduce impact on the lagoon water fisheries.
Acquisition of better fishing gear that can enable the fishermen to venture beyond the reefs and to assist in improving the amount of catches and reducing over fishing within the lagoons.
Improvement of fish handling and storage facilities accessible to artisanal fishermen.
Incorporation of the rich traditional knowledge in the management of the fishery resources of the region.
Improved systems of data acquisition, storage and processing, in a way that can easily be used in decision-making even at the local level.

Background Information: Specific Seminar Objectives

To demonstrate the process of local community group formation, dynamics, challenges involved and relevance in management of local resources as well as soliciting additional external help for local projects
To sensitize fishermen on health issues with regards to handling their fish catch immediately after landing and sharing experiences on maintaining high sanitation standards, not only for the attraction of high clientele customers but also to reduce related disease incidences
To have a forum for sharing ideas, an open means of communication among stakeholders and sharing challenges about resource exploitation for future improvement on management of coastal resources
To give a brief account of EEIU-Kenya projects and intended objectives
To identify various interest groups and clashes of interests and agree on possible compromises to reduce conflicts and harmonize resource extraction efforts and promote activities that support sustainability of the local coastal resources

A) INTRODUCTIONS AND OPENING REMARKS

The facilitator, Mr. Omolo Samson, a lecturer at University of Nairobi, called all participants to order at 09:15 a.m. He welcomed the participants who had availed themselves for the seminar discussions. Before proceeding, he asked Mzee Ahmed Mwafujo, chairman of the Mvuleni fishermen self help group, to give an opening prayer. Afterwards the participants were asked to introduce themselves by stating their names and their affiliated institutions or groups.

Mr. Omolo welcomed Mr. Okeyo, Chairman of the EEIU-Kenya Chapter, to give an introductory speech. Mr. Okeyo, who took the floor at 09:25 a.m., started by reading a welcoming speech sent by EEIU President Professor Otto Kinne who could not make it to this seminar but had conveyed his best wishes to all attendants via email. In his text, Professor Kinne said that wise resource mobilization, utilization and management of local resources are noble goals that serve not only fishermen but also society and nature, and asked attendants to accept his very best wishes for a successful and rewarding meeting. His speech in full is as below:

Dear Colleagues and Friends,
It is with great interest and pleasure that I receive the informant about your seminar. Wise mobilization, utilization and management of local resources is a noble goal that serves fishermen, society and nature. Approaching such goals is the key for achieving sustainable relations between human needs and ecological carrying capacities! Please accept my very best wishes for a successful and rewarding meeting.
Prof. Otto Kinne
EEIU President

After the EEIU President's speech, the chairman read a speech sent by Mr. Jens Ambsdorf, Chief Executive Officer of Lighthouse Foundation (LF), Germany. LF, being the financial supporter of EEIU Kenya and its projects, expressed great interest in this seminar. His speech in full is as below:

Dear workshop participants and honored guests,

The best wishes from the Lighthouse Foundation for the realization and the success of this second workshop: "Building capacities of Artisanal fishermen in the coastal area of Mombasa for wise resource mobilization, utilization and management for sustainable management". Unfortunately I do not have the opportunity to share with you this occasion of learning and exchange of information and even the more I am eager to learn from our friends in EEIU Kenya about the results of this meeting. Nearly 2 years ago I had the opportunity to participate in the first workshop that was mainly concerned about the general conditions and the view back on the situation and how it developed.

Today, with a glance at the agenda, it is very encouraging to see how the project has developed and how the project starts to become a process. First implementations will be reported and especially the interaction and enabling process has started. From my point of view this is very important because sustainable development is for me not primarily an investment in buildings and infrastructure but at its core it is a development of perception and a process of social and cultural interaction. In a world, where the front-pages are filled with horrible stories about violence and disrespect on every kind of scale, I think that it is very important to remember that the principles of personal or international interactions are still in most cases very different from this negative picture that media is bringing to our homes and that the idea of sustainable development is based on the assumption that there is a way for a better world for everybody. This not only means that we have to find and implement ways to use our natural resources in a more efficient way and for this part one might need facilities like a fish banda or to treat the environment more careful by developing more effective ways of waste disposal and treatment like the introduction of sanitation facilities or garbage collections.

Sustainable development at its core is also a call to develop a more conscious and respectful relationship to all parts of our environment and this includes also the non living resources. But this certainly means that we have to pay special attention to our fellow human beings on this planet to their needs, their culture, their aspirations and the positive potential they (we) all have together.

In this sense I wish that this workshop not only delivers new insights in technical terms to all participants but that it also itself serves as an example what people can achieve if they pursue a common goal.

My best wishes especially to Okeyo Benards and his team, and that this meeting will leave a positive, encouraging and activating impression in the mind of all participants.

Jens Ambsdorf
CEO, Lighthouse Foundation

After reading this speech, Mr. Okeyo gave his welcome address, which touched on pertinent issues which could be categorized into the three main topics below:

Objectives of putting in place the most needed physical infrastructure at the Fish landing sites; for instance, the fish Bandas and pit-latrines.
Importance of building capacities of local community groups, especially those of artisanal fishermen as well as other stakeholders
The seminar doubling as a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences for the way forward

Ladies and Gentlemen: I take great pleasure to welcome you all to this seminar. Before I proceed, allow me to introduce the workforce behind EEIU Kenya projects and its institution.

Mr. George Katete, B.A. Hons (Sociology & Geog). Program Officer in charge of community development projects and research
Mr. Omar Mshenga Barua, Cert. Agric and Extension, Field Projects Officer
Ms. Violet Njambi, Program Officer in charge of education and outreach

Besides the above core staff exists a team of highly dedicated and resourceful personnel as volunteers who are very instrumental in our day to day operations. These persons are:

Mr. Crispin Oluoch (a student of Mombasa Polytechnic on attachment)
Alice Kaleve (who has been heading the secretariat for this seminar)
Martha Aluche
Jeremiah Ouko

Well, having introduced the people behind our institution, allow me to continue with my welcoming speech before I hand over to the facilitator.

We consider this a very important gathering, a gathering that brings together our core staff, project consultants and more importantly our project clients; the people for whom and with whom we work. We attach a lot of value to this kind of gathering, not only based on the fact that it takes a considerable volume of our budget but also that it acts as a feedback mechanism from our project clientele and a forum to openly discuss our intended goals, as well as employed mechanisms of meeting those goals and objectives.

In this particular seminar major emphasis will be laid on:

Development of physical infrastructure at the beach landing sites to boost fish handling and storage facilities as well as sanitation standards within those sites
Building capacity of the beach landing sites management committees, or the fishermen self-help groups found or initiated along the beach landing sites to levels where they can sustainably manage and improve those facilities for sustainable exploitation of fishery resources
Sharing experiences about effectiveness and relevance of local groups in successfully managing the affairs at the beach landing sites and improving the socio-economic wellbeing the artisanal fishermen
Systems of hygienic handling of fish and related products at the fish landing sites as a prerequisite for market development for the fish catches
Other areas of interest will also be given time during the vital group discussions and I want to implore all of you to be generous with ideas, criticisms and suggestions for the way forward.

Dear Participants; In the past when population was low, natural resources were abundant and disease incidences minimal and the governments had the finances to carry out development projects, communities hardly grouped to initiate local income generating schemes save for those which had social welfare values. Currently with the realization that it is becoming extremely difficult for the government to meet all the needs of its citizens, increased population, diminishing natural resource bases, commercialization of production and consumables, increased awareness and demands among others, emphasis has since shifted to motivating people, especially communities, to find ways and means of meeting their needs. This paradigm has developed so rapidly that now it is common to find several community self-help groups in almost all parts of our country. One of the cardinal aims of this meeting is to bring...

Editor's Note: Report truncated. The full Report (66 pages, Word) may be requested from EEIU Kenya/Mombasa.

Report, 07 January 2004 (Katete George Onyango, Program Officer)

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Developing countries struggle with creation of employment opportunities
but are unable to keep pace with challenges of
rehabilitating degraded environments

For centuries, economy has ruled at the expense of ecology. Global production has depended on the ability to deplete one non-renewable source after another, to draw down the earth's regenerative capacity, and to treat the world's waterways and atmosphere as mere waste receptacles. Some people assume that the only way to stop this spree of borrowing from the earth is to turn this situation upside down — to sacrifice human well-being on the alter of ecological purity.

But environmental and economic healths are interdependent, and one cannot be pursued without imperiling the other. We should be ready to use less damaging ways of producing, consuming and disposing of goods which are completely consistent with the goal of full employment because they tend to be far more labor-intensive. Although there are undoubtedly situations in which a few environmental laws throw individual workers out of their jobs, such cases are in fact rare, and often balanced by jobs created in pollution control or in entirely new fields.

A case in my country

One of the main priorities of governments in third world countries is to create millions of new jobs in areas already plagued by massive unemployment. In fact, in my country (Kenya) the transitional government that took over power in the late days of December 2002 pledged to create up to 500,000 new jobs per annum. This figure is big and, if attained annually, would probably lead to insurmountable environmental problems in many parts of our country.

After all, we closely observe the creation of job opportunities through the Canadian firm Tiomin, resources incorperated with its Kenyan subsidiary Tiomin (Kenya) mining Company meant to mine titanium in Kwale district on the south coast of Mombasa, Kenya. The Kenyan government agreed to compensate each family that resided at the target site an amount of Kshs 80,000 (approx.1000 euros) per acre of land they possessed. There are up to 420 families on the 2010 acres where the excavation will take place. The government has worked on a settlement scheme program to sustainably settle the ousted families on unoccupied piece of land not far from the mining point. While it could be true to state that success in creating some opportunities for the unemployed has been achieved in some areas, like the one mentioned, many locals have remained unconvinced with measures that would be put in place to counteract any environmental risks that might occur due to the presence of such industry. They have also shown dissatisfaction with explanations they have been given on the mechanisms of handling pollutants and dangerous emissions, which might find their way into the environment and become hazardous to their health after full establishment of the company.

Other experts, including marine environmentalists, have opposed plans to convert the nearby Shimoni port to handle titanium exports, based on the fact that this move would destroy the rich marine heritage that exists in abundance in this area. A lecturer at the university of Nairobi during an interview with one leading local newspapers says, 'There is a threat of radioactive materials and the government and Tiomin company should tell us how they intend to deal with it' (Daily Nation 2003, p. 18). It is also viewed that if water use is not handled well it can lead to the drying up of water sources since titanium mining use thousands of gallons of water. My personal observation in addition to the unfolding occurrence is that with the emergence of such a company in the area such ecological imbalance and social stress has been caused that has not been experienced here for many years.

I compare what has started emerging in my beloved country with an example drawn from industrial countries that have led the assault on the environment and are now faced with leading the rescue; official unemployment figures have grown from 3 percent in the early 60's to 7.5 percent in the late 80's. In a world in which a billion people will be added to the population in the next 12 years, in which industries are in constant flux, and in which international shifts in the job markets occur quickly and unpredictably, the difficulty of gainfully employing everyone who wants to work can only get worse (Renner 1992, p. 139).

Conventional approaches to economic development — which produce enormous amounts of pollution and consume huge quantities of energy and materials in the pursuit of ever higher rates of economic growth — often fail to deliver one of the most important products of any economy: enough jobs. The dilemma is that achieving anything near full employment would, under such circumstances, require even higher — and utterly unsustainable — levels of growth. This predicament is particularly severe for developing countries, since the resource-intensive or extractive industries on which they depend are likely to decline.

Restructuring the Economy with minimal interference to ecology

According to Prof. Kinne's third thesis of eco-ethics, 'Nature evolves through harsh conflicts. Human societies must avoid harsh conflicts. To keep our complex societies intact requires the wisdom of conflict reduction and the will to reconcile economy and ecology. Both are different sides of the same coin and both must be measured against moral principles. In order to achieve that, we have to define what is beneficial, good and what is detrimental, bad, for the development of our economic systems and their ecological bases. And we have to decide how we can best enhance such good and reduce such bad' (Kinne 2002, p. 4). I side with and support this statement and further state that if environmental degradation is not to become irreversible, fundamental changes in the way goods are produced, used, and disposed of are unavoidable.

In conclusion

A sustainable society will have to give greater emphasis to conservation and efficiency, rely more on renewable energy and extract nominally renewable resources only to the degree that they can regenerate themselves. It will need to minimize waste, maximize reuse and recycling, avoid the use of hazardous materials and preserve biodiversity. And it will need to develop more environmentally benign production technologies, and to design products to be more durable and repairable.

As Eco-Ethics members, we have to take a step and mobilize others to change their attitudes concerning the environment. Success depends on overcoming human inertia, vested economic interests in the status quo and some of the structural impediments of the society.

-----

References

1. Renner, M (1992) In: State of the World: a Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Towards a Sustainable Society
2. Kinne, O (2002) EEIU Brochure. English Original. Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe
3. Daily Nation (Tuesday, July 1, 2003) In: Daily Nation — Titanium to bring in billions

Report, 30 September 2003 (Chair Okeyo Benards)

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ECO-ETHICS INTERNATIONAL UNION-KENYA CHAPTER: ANNUAL UPDATE Pride in harmonizing relations between humanity and nature

A brief background of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter and its Scope

Eco-Ethics International Union-Kenya Chapter is a constituent Chapter formed and founded on the grand theses and objectives of the Eco-Ethics International Union (EEIU) with headquarters in Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany (http://www.eeiu.org).

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter was founded in 2000 by amalgamation of youth groups and ecology professionals in Kenya. It was legally registered as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) by the NGO Co-ordination Bureau in 2002 and has a scope to operate in the whole nation. Currently the institution is active along the coastal region of Mombassa, Kenya. Our offices are located in Mombassa, in a suburban area of Ganjoni, along Sauti ya Kenya road. This office acts as the central point and head office of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter. Liaising Chapters in Kenya include Sare Chapter in Migori district, Nairobi Chapter in Nairobi and Bondo Chapter in Bondo, Kenya.

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter: Our Mission, Vision and Goal and Their Implementation

Our Mission. To investigate, demonstrate, promote and enhance harmonious relationships between human communities with their natural or environmental resources building on the principle of sustainability.

Our Vision. To have a world of human communities that value and are adequately informed about their actions to the natural environments.

Long-Term Goal. Having human communities that are responsive to new research findings and are willing to adapt to alternative livelihood for sustenance of the world coasts and environmental resources.

Implementation of Mission and Long-Term Goal. EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter's mission and long-term goal will be implemented in Kenya and Africa through participation in EEIU-African summit and in collaboration with other institutions through community initiatives, public-private partnerships and linkages that promote and invest in environmental awareness creation, interdisciplinary research, experimentation, socio-economic programmes, education and information exchange on possible livelihood alternatives.

Objectives and Mandates of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter

Objectives

To fulfill and implement EEIU concepts and theses as provided by Prof. Dr. Otto Kinne, President and founder of EEIU.
To carry out detailed coastal environmental impact studies, with emphasis on overall ecological system changes, influences on communities and local fauna and flora.
To identify, characterize and enlist various coastal stakeholders in Kenya, their interests, causes of conflict and conflict resolutions and suggestions for the way forward.
To investigate traditions, taboos and traditionally acquired knowledge and the roles they play on conservation of marine resources.
To organize seminars on marine conservation and environmental education targeting the local fishermen, community groups, coastal stakeholders and learning institutions along the Kenyan Coast. We will collaborate closely with institutions like Teens Watch, WCK and C.F.C.U., among others, to achieve this objective.
To evaluate and elaborate interdisciplinary mode of the human-environment relations by involving both the ecological and social aspects of life.
To understand adaptations of people, responses of ecosystems and their feedback on biological diversity and ecological sustainability and mediation of resource use.
To help improve the living standards and conditions of local community members by initiating sustainable social projects and capacity building of group members to take charge and properly manage available coastal resources and facilities.

Mandates

To achieve the above mentioned objectives, EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter operates under three main mandates:

Scientific and social research on marine issues
Through linkage with local institutions of higher learning (foreign & local) and national archives; conducting marine research
Environmental and ecological education and awareness
Formation of more Eco-Clubs in schools; recruitment of more individual and co-operate members; environmental education; ecology lectures/presentations in seminars and workshops
Socio-economic, cultural and community development projects
Through initiation of highly needed community projects and capacity building of the local groups to strengthen their management efforts

Under our first mandate, the organization carries out both scientific and social research on marine and coastal environments. Coastal issues are interdisciplinary, encompassing both social and scientific aspects and EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter regards it as a task to come up with new ideas and help contribute in building up new management strategies by offering some solutions to management challenges realized today along the coastal regions of Kenya. We note that human beings have to survive by exploiting the resources within their disposal in order to meet their economic needs. But the rate at which the same resources decline needs to be checked to save our nation's resources from total extinction. The other factor closely related to dependency ratio is the country's population growth rate, which steadily rises annually (as is the case with developing countries), calling for more people joining in exploitation of the same resources. Critical analysis and suitable ways of reconciling our economies and environment have to be arrived at to save our rich environments and natural resources from further demise.

Reconciling Economy and Environment: EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter strives to reconcile our country's economy and its environment. This is one of the challenging tasks we are entrusted with. An attempt to address this challenge includes a research carried by the institution entitled as 'investigation of traditions, taboos and culture used by the local fishermen in exploitation of coastal waters in south coast of Mombassa'. This study came up with some important findings; one of these findings is that there exist some traditions that help in controlling over-exploitation of coastal resources. Suchtraditions have been held by the locals and deeply rooted in them for a long time, but with the coming in of modernization and islamization there have been attempts to discard some of these practices as the present generation under look and claim they hold no value. This issue in many instances has caused clash of interest between the old and the younger generations. We also realize that, for the interest of the two groups to prevail, there is need to blend these traditional methods with the modern ones and come up with some harmonized and more competitive methods of resource exploitation and management.

Mobilizing and Linking with other Institutions: Our strategy towards opening up linkages with other research bodies and institutions of higher learning is yet another step that would ensure faster implementation of actions on research findings by the grassroots institutions or the local people. EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter and KMFRI have entered into a closer networking plan through an agreeable Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U). EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter seeks to continue working closely with local people and other stakeholders in these regions. Other institutions that we work closely with in this line include Egerton University and C.D.A. among others.

Reaching Young People through Eco-Clubs: Along with our second mandate, we continue to establish more Eco-Clubs in learning institutions within the coastal regions. Eco-Club aims at empowering young people with environmental conservation knowledge and wise utilization of the environment. Since the youth act as an immediate linkage between the present and future generation, this strategy is meant to be of a sustainable value. All the activities performed by club members are environmental friendly and meant to conserve the environment and rehabilitate the degraded areas.

Joining EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter as a Member: Many people also join EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter as individual and co-operate members. The Chapter has grown in membership and we are in the process of recruiting new members and empowering them with eco-ethics knowledge. This is a good step as it shows the positive response of our people as regards the call of taking care of their precious environment. EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter organizes a calendar of yearly activities where members are requested to participate or contribute. A treat for members is also being envisaged where a cadre of members could be taken for a camping, picnic or mountaineering expedition just as an exploration of the 'unpeeled environment'.

The Third Mandate: Mainly covered by the project is a very important facet for the institution as well as the community around. Under the social development program, EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter works together with the community members (mainly fishermen groups) at various fish landing sites to initiate some highly needed development infrastructures with an objective of uplifting their living standards and for sustainable utilization of available resources. The approach by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa as regards community based projects has been very critical in involving the locals from the initial stages till the end of the project, and to have them contributing in one way or another to ensure success of project and with an intention of making them have a complete feeling of being the main custodians and owners of every project initiated for them by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter. However a lot of challenges are realized while establishing such projects as community members hold a lot of suspicions before understanding their importance. The three years of our existence along this region coupled with our cell network with the people here and the honesty that have characterized our interactions has assisted us immensely in overcoming these suspicions and endeared us a talented group in working with the local communities.

The Fish-handling and Storage Facility at Chale-Kinondo Fish Landing Site: The organization, together with the help of Chale fishermen self-help group, has put up an improved fish landing facility to be utilized by the fishermen community. This structure comes at a time when fishermen have been loosing a lot of catch as a result of lack of proper storage facilities. For a long time before the structure was constructed, fishermen were having problems getting a secure place for keeping the group's records and a room for holding some of their important meetings. The issue of improving the hygienic standards and marketing techniques has also been partly addressed by having the facility at the landing site, as fishermen will be able to hold their catch for longer as they look for better prices from their consumers. This point will also be strongly addressed when a refrigeration system is fitted inside the structure, a task that EEIU Kenya/Mombasa is likely to honor. Through this project we have managed to help strengthen management skills of the fishermen by giving them full ownership of the structure. In turn we have gained acceptance and continue to identify other pressing areas that need to be addressed.

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter hosts different Guests, Foreign and Local

Since its establishment EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter has hosted many guests. Besides our team efforts, we note that our institution has grown as a result of internalizing and implementing some of the ideas we gain from our visiting guests. Here we summarize and trace the path of our institution-playing host to different guests from various institutions since last year. Their input on some of our activities has been marvelous in contributing to the growth of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter; here we mention some in a brief account.

"EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Offices were baffling with activities the period of 17th to 22nd August 2002", visit of Ludmilla Marchukova
This was the period when we hosted Ms. Ludmilla Marchukova, Chair of EEIU Sevastopol Chapter I. Ludmilla, a high school biology teacher and trained medical doctor, has harnessed her great teaching potential to instil environmental awareness in her school. In fact, her children have for some time been careful custodians of a reserved park area in Sevastopol, Ukraine (a state of the former USSR).

Her visit was meant to be an exchange between experiences of the established EEIU Sevastopol Chapter and the then newly upcoming Kenyan Chapter, to explore areas of further co-operation and to literally see for herself the worth of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa in tackling some of the world's environmental and ecological challenges. Her visit lasted for 5 days and she had an encounter with clients at our project site, made courtesy call to our affiliated institutions, visited the world famous Tsavo Park and on the last days she had a small experience with some of the Kenya cultural dances of Massai group in Ngomongo cultural village. She advised EEIU Kenya/Mombasa to do a lot of marketing of their activities through the mass media while noting that there is need for the public to appreciate the activities of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa.

Prof. Otto Kinne, President of EEIU and founder of Inter-Research in Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany, sponsored her trip to Kenya.

Lighthouse Foundation team visits EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter (2-9 December 2002)
December 2002 can be said to have been the climax of events conducted by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa for the past one year. This month goes down in memory as the period when we hosted important guests amidst us for one week. Mr. Jens Ambsdorf and Jorge Grabo from the Lighthouse Foundation (LF) in Hamburg, Germany, were happy to be with us from 2-9 December 2002. Being the main group that funds EEIU Kenya/Mombasa projects, their main objectives of the visit were to assess the progress attained by the project, attend to the workshop that was organized by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter at the University of Nairobi Marine Sciences field station in Mombassa and give their suggestions on the way forward concerning the project.

This period was parked with intense activity. The LF group was more so interested with marine activities and took this chance to explore many areas within their possibility. With help from EEIU Kenya/Mombasa, they visited all the landing sites under our project, the north coast landing site where they had a chance to view the fish Banda, the Kaya forest in Kinondo, a school where EEIU has helped to establish an Eco-Club and our affiliate institutions like C.D.A., Teens-Center and C.F.C.U. among others. December 3rd and 4th they attended a workshop in which different stakeholders along the coast were represented and their views analyzed. Mr. Jens confirmed his group's support of the activities touching on conservation of marine life, as this is one of their main organizational objectives. The group also took time to visit some of environmental and nature rehabilitation centers within Mombassa, like the Ngomongo Villages and the world-famous Tsavo National Park, where they enjoyed watching different wild animals including the big five.

However, their serious business was to assess the impact of the EEIU Kenya/Mombasa project and possibility to continue funding some of these projects that target uplifting living standards of community members. When they finally left for Germany they were fully convinced of our efforts and pledged continuous support.

Holger Woyt and Sabine, as true friends
Holger Woyt and Sabine, former colleagues of Mr. Okeyo at Bremen University, Germany, paid a four-day visit to our offices in April 2003. They were instrumental in making contact to some hoteliers who have since been open for dialogue with the local community members regarding issues affecting both parties. These hoteliers and diving groups have also shown interest in initiating some community-based projects to help uplift local living standards. Since then we are working very closely with these groups, not only to highlight the plight of the disadvantaged local groups, but also devoting time to developing proposals that could improve their living standards, enhance understanding between the hotels and the local interests and cutting the niche for the coastal resources which are at the center of this exploitation fights.

Broder Breckling (University of Bremen, Germany) visits EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter
July 2-22, 2003, was another gracious occasion in our institutional calendar of events. This was the time we hosted Prof. Broder Breckling, a lecturer at Bremen University, Germany. He is also a supervisor of different students pursuing their M.Sc. degree who are based in developing countries and continue undertaking their Ph.D. studies. Here he came to supervise Mr. Okeyo. His objectives for the visit can be summarized as below:

To supervise the Ph.D. work of Mr. Okeyo.
To make recommendation and certify possibilities of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter hosting foreign students who are interested in conducting their Master's research work in Mombassa.
To give public lectures to students in some learning institutions in Kenya. This was done in Egerton and Mombassa Polytechnic.
To offer fresh ideas on the way forward to our upcoming institution.

His visit held much significance. Being one of the foreign visitors whose visit lasted for closer to a month, we could perhaps easily refer to him as one of our own as he managed to understand our work and helped in re-organizing some management aspects quite well while still amidst us. Besides his busy schedule, he was instrumental in helping our institution organize the handing over of the landing facility at Chale and attended the ceremony as a representative of the donor community. Being a scholar and a lecturer, he did not miss giving a public lecture at Egerton University and Mombassa Polytechnic where he presented important lectures to the students of these two institutions. His legacy still abounds in these two institutions of higher learning.

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa organizes Workshop at Nairobi University's marine science field station in Diani-Mombassa-Kenya (3-5 December 2002)

This workshop held from 3-5 December 2002 was a success as the deliberations were exhaustive and the atmosphere throughout was conducive. The workshop bore positive fruits, as it was able to achieve the many objectives set for it. The objectives were numerous but the core ones included the following:

Give an account of what has been done within the first year of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa's project at the southern coast of Kenya.
Bring together the stakeholders of Kenya's south coastal resources - to inform, learn, take and share experiences from each other.
Create atmosphere for enhanced positive interaction among coastal resource stakeholders.
Review and generate socio-economic developmental activities from target communities.

Among the many people in attendance were the fishermen representatives from various fish landing sites, institutional representatives, local government officials and other stakeholders. During this 2-day workshop period there were important recommendations arrived at, including the following:

There is great need to assess the culture, traditions and mode of life of the Digo community that dominates along the Kenyan coast. It was a general agreement that the cultures and traditions of these people have served them well and the resources that abound within this region. It was recognized that this culture and valuable knowledge accruing from it are unfavorably under threat from modern influences like islamization, christianity and western influence. Yet it could be re-invoked in the involvement of the local community in the management of coastal resources.
The project was thus recommended for taking the task to assess and find the most outstanding attributes that could be involved in sustainable utilization of coastal resources.
So far the project had laid a solid foundation and understanding with local fishermen, local institutions, have generated required data about local culture, traditions and mode of life of the local people and that in general it had lived to the expected mandate for the first year.
There is a big necessity to institute dialogue among the various stakeholders found along the Kenyan Coast. This emanated from the discussion that there exists a lot of suspicion and bad blood between the various stakeholders, more so between local fishermen and hotel developers and governmental marine management agencies.
There is need to strengthen local fishermen groups, especially at various beach landing sites.

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa hands over the fish landing facility to the Chale fishermen self-help group

The Chale-Kinondo fish-landing site is situated in Msambweni division in the south coast of Mombassa, Kenya. The community around this site, being one of the landing sites where EEIU Kenya/Mombasa works hand in hand with the local fishermen to initiate some sustainable projects, has benefited immensely out of the landing facility constructed to them by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa for their own use.

In a ceremony attended by over 300 people, including government representatives, a local hoteliers representative, other institutional representatives and local fishermen, EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter lived up to organize one of the most successful ceremonies in this region that was hosted by the Chale fishermen self-help group at Chale site. EEIU Kenya/Mombasa facilitated the opening and handing over of this vital facility. The opening of the facility was officiated by the D.C. of Kwale District, Mr. Fred Mutsami.

The fishermen groups at these sites for a long time have been losing a lot of fish catch due to lack of proper storage facility. This problem will be addressed now that the structure has been constructed. This structure will also benefit fishermen as it provides room for meetings, shelter for protection from harsh weather adversaries and generally a trading point where fishers offer their catch to trade partners for money. It has been a sorry state that fishermen have been unable to construct such an important facility, thus only relying on a small 'Makuti thatched' structure that could not stand to meet their demand. This facility stands to change their way of living.

The entire construction project of a fish landing facility was a process that involved local fishermen from the initial stages until the end. The Lighthouse Foundation in Hamburg, Germany sponsored this project.

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter can therefore be said to be young as regards to its operational period in the field but again big as we have managed to accomplish measure to several challenging tasks and continue to undertake several others within its operational period.

We have continued to achieve progress through teamwork spirit, individual or personal positive drive and our positive attitude of regarding 'problems' as challenges.

Looking ahead with hope and determination: EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter, 'the Ecological Steel' as it is referred to by the fishermen of Chale-Kinondo, is not letting the past success of yesterday deter its mobilization of energy and resources for the activities of tomorrow and years ahead. The challenge ahead is enormous and the resources required to tackle these challenges are mind boggling, but the journey is begun and there is no going back. The foundation already laid is adequate and supportive. More activities are planned for the years ahead, like construction of pit latrines in various fish landing sites along the south coast of Kenya (happily sponsored by Lighthouse Foundation (LF), Hamburg), construction of additional fish landing sites in other different locations (LF sponsored), capacity building and mobilization of various local groups exploiting coastal resources, stakeholder analysis and consensus building, recruitment of individual and corporate members, continuation with the research component on traditions, taboos and culture, research on fisheries productivity and possibilities of improving its return to local fishermen as some of the major activities.

Thanks to all those who support our initiatives.

Report, 08 August 2003

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Fish Banda Opening Ceremony; 19 July 2003, Kinondo-Chale site

Abbreviated Report^*

^*A full-length report is available from EEIU Kenya/Mombasa, Motor Mart Building, 1st Floor, Rm 10, PO Box 1462, Mombasa, Kenya

Scenes from the Fish Banda Opening Ceremony

Organized by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa in association with the Chale Fishermen self-help group, this event was to hand-over and officially open the newly finished fish landing site facility to the local fishermen. The fish Banda construction is a project run along the landing sites, which falls under the social development department of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa. Here the institution works with the community in helping to initiate some long-term sustainable projects targeted at raising the local living standard.

The Chale-Kinondo Fishermen self-help group is a local group comprising fishermen found at the Chale landing site situated in the Kinondo location of Kwale district. This group is the first to benefit from such a project financed by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa. They have been supportive of this project from the initial stages till the completion of the construction work.

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa has involved the fishermen fully in this project. Earlier part of the group attended a one-day exchange programme organized and facilitated by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa to enlighten the fishermen on the valuebility of such a facility and to let them make their own recommendations for what they would consider suited them better. This group also played an important role by identifying and selecting the particular point where they wanted the Banda constructed. Before the construction work commenced the local members were selected to provide for masonry labour and the constructors were the local young men drawn from the community but under supervision from a qualified constructor. Hence the role and input of the community is highly regarded in this project.

Opening Ceremony

The ceremony was attended by close to 300 individuals, including local government representatives, institutional representatives, pupils and teachers from local primary schools, a local hotelier representative, a diving company representative and fishermen from various fish landing sites like Mwaepe, Mwanyaza, Mvuleni, Galu and the Chale itself.

Master of Ceremonies was Mr. Mwasengeza, patron of the Chale-Kinondo fishermen group. Mr. Abdullah, a renowned local priest, led the opening prayer. Pupils from local schools gave presentations in song and dance and poetry about the importance of conserving coastal resources. Guests of honor included D. O. Msambweni Mr. Tarragon, a government authority and representative of the chief guest (in absentee) Mr. Fred Mutsami, D. C. Kwale District. EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chair Okeyo Benards gave the welcoming address.

Speakers included Prof. Broder Breckling, Bremen University, Germany; Mr. Simmons, hotelier and managing director of the Southern Palm Beach Resort, Mombasa; Mr. Hensi, managing director of the Wet and Wild diving company; Area chief of the Kinondo location; Guest of Honor, Divisional Officer Mr. Tarragon; Mr. Lumumba, CFCU representative; Chairman Chale-Kinondo fishermen group Mr. Juma; Mr. Nyenze, area councilor; Assistant Chief Diani, Mr. Mohammed said Mwarandani, a local politician; area chief Kinondo and Chairman of the host village, Mr. Mwinyikombo; Chair of the Chale, Mr. Juma Mwarandani; and the assistant chief of Diani, standing in for his boss Mr. Mwakunemwa. Mr. Mwinyikombo, Chairman of Kinondo village, officially closed the ceremony.

The events of the day can be regarded as a step towards creating more compromise and co-operation among interest groups who benefit from the same coastal resources. Speaker after speaker from different bodies emphasized encouraging efforts that contribute to community development, with the EEIU Kenya/Mombasa project exemplified as an eye opener.

Welcome Address by Okeyo Benards, Chair, EEIU Kenya/Mombasa

The guest of honor Sir the District Commissioner, Kwale District Mr. Fred Mutsami, distinguished guests, institutional representatives from Mombasa and Diani, Fishermen, Colleagues and Friends. On behalf of Eco-Ethics International Union (EEIU) Kenya Chapter, I take great pleasure to welcome you all to this very important ceremony organized by EEIU Kenya/Mombasa and hosted by Chale fishermen self-help group.

May I start by taking this ample opportunity to thank the fisher folk community of Chale, who have been working closely with us, for every co-operation they have accorded us since we began working in this area in the early months of the year 2002. Indeed we have admired their patience and tireless efforts geared towards the success of these projects. Our big appreciation also goes to the government officers and government institutions starting with the area chiefs both Kinondo and Diani, the D. O. Msambweni, The Fisheries Offices, the D. C.'s Offices in Kwale and not forgetting other collaborative institutions around. We recognize every support we have gained from the above bodies without which we could not have reached this far.

Let me continue by stating that this project dubbed the "Fish Banda" Construction falls under the Social Development Programme of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter where the institution aims at helping in improving the standards of living of the targeted group by initiating some sustainable infrastructure projects. This project has followed from EEIU Kenya's research on 'investigation of traditional fishing methods, taboos and cultural agreements of fishing communities in exploitation of Coastal waters in Southern coast of Kenya" a project that lasted for one year and from which we talked with the local people, other institutional representatives working within the same area, government representatives and other stakeholders along the Coastal area. From this said project we successfully examined some of the traditions and taboos that would help in controlling the overexploitation of the coastal resources, we solicited and recommended ways and means by which some of these traditions could be integrated into contemporary conservation methods and got acquainted with the community. We also identified some of the communities' interests, challenges they undergo and opportunities for growth. All these put together gave us a clear mandate to work together with this community in construction of an improved fish landing site structure, a facility that will act as a central point for trading and greatly improve the hygienic standards while handling the catches. It will also act as a place for keeping records about the groups' activities and assist in the storage of fishermen gears and other gadgets used by them in their fishing expeditions. Besides these, the structure provides shelter from the harsh weather adversaries and also becomes very vital to the women willing to prepare and sell foodstuff for the fishers who tire from their daily hectic duty at this very site.

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me also to state that this structure has been constructed by the Kinondo-Chale fishermen group with funds from EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter sponsored by the Lighthouse Foundation, Hamburg, Germany. In this project, the fishermen are the main custodians and target group and hence they have been fully and satisfactorily involved from the beginning till the end of this exercise, their contributions towards the project as concerns suggestions for modifications of the structure to suit them fairly well were taken into account and their willingness for supporting the opening and subsequent handing over of the facility for their usage and own management, a function that has made all of us gather here today.

Before I close and sit down let me point out the three 3 main objectives of holding this ceremony:

1. To officially open and hand over the Fish landing Site facility to the fishermen for their use and management. It is the wish of Eco-Ethics International Union, just like many other institutions, to have the local fisherman involved in managing their own resources. This structure being opened today will play a big role in ensuring an increase in the communal hold of the same coastal resources, an opportunity and effort directed towards helping in improving the local management system.

2. To share our experiences and challenges met in the course of working with the community and other collaborative institutions. At this point I would like to mention that most of the challenges are based on the suspicions that the local community members hold due to the negative experiences they have had in the past. As such there have been unprecedented increases in hostilities emerging whenever an activity or a project is to be initiated, as they will always view these as being detrimental to their side. However our experiences with the same communities have been great.

3. To have a small session of knowing one another better and the ideas they have for the way forward. Here we have with us personnel who work with different institutions, NGOs and government bodies. From the speeches that will be delivered by the speakers I believe these will not only be of relevance to the fishers alone but also to all of us.

Last but not least let me wish this gathering interesting moments and all the best of time.

Summary Points and Recommendations

The celebration was not only organized with the aim of opening and subsequent handing over of the fish landing site structure but also acted as a forum for exchanging views for the way forward as well as identifying potential areas that could be explored in future. Most in attendance agreed that the day offered gainful issues. Among the recommendations hinted by resource persons were the following:

1. The local fishermen need to coalesce into a stronger group that would give them power to denounce any detrimental values, start more gainful activities as one body and gain access to small loans from financial institutions. In the long run they will be able to start their own magazines, which will help them gain more publicity within their regions and even outside.

2. The local hoteliers will find it attractive to buy fish from the local fishers when the hygienic standards have been improved. One of the local hotel managers also assured the fishermen support when it comes to marketing of their fish stock. It is also noted that Projects with an aim of improving the living standards of the community will also gain support from the local hoteliers.

3. The diving company around Diani is ready to offer any expert support required in times of sea accidents. It was noted that fishers lose their fishing gadgets or even their lives during high tides and they have been hesitant in seeking support from such expertise. The meeting heard from one of the managers of the diving company that such services are accessible.

4. The government is working to ensure that the beach access roads are open to the fishers. The Division Officer Msambweni assured the fishers present that some routes closer to hotels that have previously been closed (hence making it difficult for the fishers to reach their fishing grounds) will soon be open.

Report, August 06, 2003 (Okeyo Benards, Chair)

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EEIU Kenya/Mombasa organisational structure:
organizational re-engineering

Introduction

The EEIU Kenya/Mombasa proposed structure for 2001/ 2002 was one whereby there were:

7 management committee members
1 project executive officer
6 project areas

The committee was to be there to provide the policy guidelines for EEIU Kenya/Mombasa. The Project Executive Officer (PEO) was the Chair of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa and also headed project implementation.

The six project areas included:

Information and project secretary
Social anthropology
Outreach and education
Research
Project implementation
Administration, finance and records

The structure looked as shown below:

Committee Members
⇓
Project Executive Officer
⇓
Information	Social Anthropology	Outreach, Implementation & Education	Research	Administration, Finance & Records

Each of these areas was to be headed by Project Assistants. However in the implementation of the foregoing project, the following officers were in place:

1 PEO
1 Social anthropologist
1 Project Assistant
1 Field staff

Challenges and lessons learnt

There were strength and challenges in the use of the early-proposed organizational structure. It is in realization of such challenges that the implementation offices were due as shown. Some pertinent challenges included:

The Eco-clubs were not catered for but were found to be major
Social anthropology, to a great extent, was covered in the implementation and projects
Information was covered during the outreach and education

Proposed organizational structure:

Committee Members
⇓
Executive Officer
⇓	⇓	⇓	⇓

	Programme Officer: Eco-Ethics Clubs	Programme Officer: Community & Development Projects	Programme Officer: Research
	⇓	⇓	⇓
Administrative Assistant	Project Assistant	Project Assistant	Project Assistant
⇓	⇓	⇓	⇓
⇒	⇒	1 subordinate staff (cleaning, messengerial duty)	⇐

The third level is shelved pending adequate administrative funding. The proposed functions of such offices include:

1. Committee
Will provide policy guidelines for the working of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa. This will be done with respect to EEIU policies, national and international conservation policies and policy needs of the members. EEIU Kenya/Mombasa will be represented by the executive officer at EEIU Kenya/Mombasa who will be secretary of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa. Members will be elected from among the EEIU Kenya/Mombasa members during the annual general meeting.

2. Executive Officer
Will be head of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa secretariat. S/he will ensure implementation of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa policies, plans, programs, and projects. S/he will supervise, monitor and coordinate all activities of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa. Further, s/he will be secretary to the committee in Kenya, as well as representative of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa. The EEIU President will appoint her/him for the first two years. Basic qualifications will include a basic degree in natural science and commitment to the EEIU. S/he will be answerable to the President and EEIU Kenya/Mombasa committee.

3. Programme Officers
Will be responsible for respective program areas. Qualifications will be basic degrees and experience relevant to each program. POs will be hired on contract, renewable based on performance and availability of funds. POs, together with the executive officer, will form the management board of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa's secretariat. The management board will be the recruitment and disciplinary arm of the organization.

4. Project Assistants
Will assist Programme Officers in project areas. Will be hired on contract as and when need arises. Minimum qualifications for PAs will be diplomas and experience relevant to areas of need. Will report to respective POs.

5. Administrative Assistant
Will be responsible for general administrative work, secretarial and accounting purposes. Minimum qualification will be a diploma/certificate in secretarial, accounting or administration. S/he will report to EO but work in collaboration with POs and PAs and supervise subordinate(s).

6. Subordinate (Messengerial, Cleaning)
Will perform duties as defined by the Administrative Assistant, Programme Officers and Executive Officer. Minimum qualification will be adequate motivation and interest in the success of the organization.

Report, June 20, 2003 (Okeyo Benards, Chair, and Omar Barua, EEIU Kenya/Mombasa)

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Working with fishermen in Chale, Kinondo (Diani, Mombasa)

An EEIU Kenya/Mombasa project with fishermen along the Kenyan coast. This project is funded by Lighthouse Foundation, Hamburg.

Fishermen building a 'Fish Banda' at the Chale-Kinondo landing site

Introduction

The Chale Kinondo is found in the Kinondo location of Msabweni Division of Kwale District, Coast Province in Kenya. To the north of this region lies the river Mwachema (about 26 km south of Mombasa) and to the south is the tourist-famous Chale Island. Twenty km further south lies the River Mkurumudzi. A few kilometres from the Chale-Kinondo fish-landing site is the Mombasa-Tanga road, which links Kenya to Tanzanian and runs through Ukunda town. The Coastal Development Authority (2002) approximates the whole marine area in Diani-Chale to be about 250 hectares.

This coast is made up of rising coral reef, with low cliffs about 15 m above sea level. The beaches are outstanding for their stretches of white sand, the most favourable for tourism. The tropical lowland woodlands and dense bush with spots of the renowned Kaya forest relicts dominates further inland. To the north are well-developed tourism and residential buildings, though the beach road remains untarmacked from Neptune Resort (about 6 km from the Chale-Kinondo landing site). The southern side is largely undeveloped, though isolated developments next to the beach are rapidly picking up.

The Chale-Kinondo Community

The people living around this area are mainly the Digo, a sub-tribe of the Mijikenda. The Digo are one of the nine clans who make up the Mijikenda ('the nine kaya'). In the late 1940s, when there was agitation among the coastal communities to form co-operative political organizations, the Mijikenda Union was born, hence giving rise to the name 'Mijikenda' (2001, pers. comm.). For protection against marauding Maasai and Samburu, they preferred to live in fortified forest hilltops called 'Kayas' mainly along the low plateau running north-south some twelve miles inland of the coastline.

Since the 15th and 16th centuries, the Digo lived in the plains and hinterland ridges of the Kenyan coast, South of Mombasa where they built first Kaya Kwale in the hinterland and later Kaya Kinondo at the coast (Spear 1978). Dispersing in the 17th century to the coastal plains, the Digo established other sub-kaya along the coasts of Ukunda, Tiwi and Pongwe. In this region they conducted a flourishing trade with the nearby Swahili settlements and established close connections with the Vumba (Swahili group) at Vanga which they maintained into the colonial period (Spear 1978).

In the early 19th century the Vumba-Digo caravans began to pioneer long-distance trade into the interior along the regional routes earlier established by the Digo. After the mid 1800s they pushed beyond Chagga to Samburu and Lake Victoria, bringing back ivory and slaves. In spite of their previous hold on most of the trade between the coast and the interior, by the middle of the 19th century the Digo lost this hold to the Swahili and Arabs associated with the Zanzibar empire (Ngweno 1995). Since then most have been keen in exploitation of the coastal fishery resources. Other Mijikenda groups apart from the Digo are: Giriama, Kauma, Ribe, Kambe, Jibana, Rabai, Chonyi and Duruma.

Community activities in Chale-Kinondo area:

The inhabitants of the community around Chale are mainly fishermen, peasant farmers or a combination of both. In this community one finds a strong case of farming of mainly maize, which of late forms the bulk of many a Kenyan community staple food, various vegetables as well as several fruit trees, the most common being coconut palms and mangoes. All homesteads we have visited had at least a few coconut palms or some were at least in the vicinity, many of which are uncared for but used in one way or the other.

There is a strong blend of farming and fishing. While most (if not all) community members had a claim to small farms or attended those owned by their parents or relatives, many also take part in fishing activities. The younger members also look for jobs as casuals or permanent laborers in the tourist hotels and facilities. As a result of the interaction with the tourists, a few of the village sons and daughters have married Europeans who visited and later erected magnificent concrete houses in the community.

The older women are found within the homesteads, attending to their grandchildren or assisting with midwifery and traditional medicine. Young women are engaged in small trading activities, with some selling attire and other tourist-related wares along the beaches. In the Chale-Kinondo landing site, the younger women prepare food either at the landing site or at home and bring it to the landing site where they sell the food to the fishermen at affordable rates. We have greatly admired their patience in demanding payment from the fishermen and appreciated the respect that exists between them and the fishermen, with the majority of whom they have family ties.

Chale-Kinondo: What is in a landing site?

This landing, like all the other landing sites, can be aptly referred to as the 'center of operations for the fishermen'. It is at the landing sites where the fishermen meet before going to the waters. Landings are thus the assembly points before sea operations are started. Here fishermen assess their nets, boats, gear and even partners before going on fishing expeditions.

Landing sites as learning sites: here Chale-Kinondo fishermen listen carefully to a Bamburi landing site fisherman address, inside a Fish Banda

As the name suggests, they are actual 'landing sites' with the catches. Fishermen of a given landing site will traverse other landing sites to that of their own. Here they unload their catches, sort and sell them, or apportion the catch to the various fishing crews. There is a need for a safer site where the fishermen can peacefully assort their catches.

Landing sites are a market place. It is at these points where fishermen meet with buyers, mainly a group of middlemen who buy the fish directly from the fishermen and sell it to neighboring communities, town or hotels, mainly through hawking using bicycles. The buyers identify themselves with the landing sites and the fishermen and wait in the landing sites until the fishermen are back from the sea. They (buyers) however must wait for the fishermen to sort their fish catches and share the catch before they can approach the fishermen with offers. Both the fishermen and buyers normally know the prices, though a small amount of bargaining is always expected. There is no binding agreement between the two parties, and no prior arrangement need be made. The relation is strictly in business terms, and the buyers normally pay in cash. In periods when catches are low and when fishers have only enough for their families, the buyers find themselves with nothing to buy and their business are heavily affected.

The landing sites are the garages and maintenance units in which the nets, fishing gear and boats are serviced and repaired. After landing the fish, assortment and sale, the fishermen take a rest before coming back in the afternoon. Then they take a closer look at the gear, especially the nets, and minor repairs are made. Major repairs, like those of fishing dug-out canoes, which can consume more than a day, are repaired all day long or continuously for several days. Complicated repairs and maintenance tasks are taken to specially skilled craftsmen. This is, however, very costly for these small-scale fisherfolk. There are also cases in which the afternoons could turn into sessions when different fishermen assemble next to each other to repair their nets and gear.

Landing sites are 'safety havens', as one fisher claimed. Since all fishermen from one fishing community operate from these sites, there is some guarantee of security from common patrol in these points. Thus fishers feel much more free to leave their gadgets at the sites, giving them the role of storage points. They are working warehouses and stores for the fishermen, in which almost all the dug-out canoes are kept, nets are dried and left and other fishing gear like baskets are kept.

The landing sites, besides being meeting places, are also the centers in which matters pertaining to the general welfare of the fisherfolk are deliberated and solutions sought. Common disagreements over fishing grounds are discussed mainly within the landing sites and perhaps only taken to the government offices when amicable solutions have not been found, or when they involve cross-border fishing areas (i.e. between Kenya and Tanzanian waters). Disagreements between the fishermen are also discussed within the landing sites under the arbitration of the elderly fishermen. The tradition of the Digo community to have weighty matters discussed out of the earshot of womenfolk makes the landing sites exclusive areas for serious discussions. It is worth pointing out that no women fishers have been spotted in this region during the three years plus that we have operated here. Women, though appreciated highly at the landing sites, remain with the tasks of preparing food for the fishermen. This is a role that has been faithfully entrenched by the culture, as the women have shown no desire (at least from our experience and encounters) to venture into the sea. The landing sites are thus courts of a lower echelon, functioning and respected by the fisherfolk.

Kenyan coastal fishermen identify themselves with their respective landing sites. Meeting a fisherman from another area, one would be asked how his landing site is doing, basically referring to the amount of fish catches they are netting. Fishermen talk of good fortunes associated with their landing sites and of invasions of evil spirits afflicting their landing sites when members are unable to catch adequate fish or when catastrophes such as deaths at sea occur.

Besides the family ties that are very strong among this community, landing site phenomenon also cement relations among fishers. Tales are told of fishers from other communities whose identities have been forgotten as members of a landing site community fully absorb them, in comparison to these who are non-fishers who are referred to by the name of the places from which they came. This identity with a landing site is one aspect that can be strengthened by a management strategy to improve bond ties and group dynamics.

The Chale-Kinondo landing site also doubles as a ritual and prayer site. These sacred roles performed at the Chale-Kinondo site make it an even more important and revered place to the local community. At this site the sea spiritual leader leads the fishermen in appeasing the spirits in asking for fish catch favors, protection at sea, good health and protection from marauding foreign fishers who have be known to use destructive fishing gear and leave a derail of destruction behind their back. A famous sea kaya is a stone's throw from this site to the sea, a natural ocean spring from which waters eject upwards. This is believed to be a sacred point in which the spirits live and watch the general welfare of the fishermen. This holy area is watched and guarded ferociously by the Chale-Kinondo fishermen, and fishing activities are prohibited in its immediate vicinity.

The younger women use this region as a cafeteria. Here they make food or sell food made at home to the fishermen coming back from fishing expeditions. They use the big Baobab trees as shelters against the scorching sun and sometimes heavy downpours of rain. Most of these young women have little children on their backs, the traditional way of carrying young children in a position that allows the women to perform other duties.

The latter brings us to the home function of the landing sites. Here exists elders arbitrating over disputes, spiritual leaders intervening for the fishers from the spirits, the fishers, the younger women engaged in selling foodstuffs to the fishers, the fish traders and other general public who frequently are found in these places. Thus a small community is at one point or another at the landing site of a fishing community. It brings the people naturally together, enacts bonds between the various groups and persons, and sets rules of interaction. Through the arbitration of the elderly fishers, it even has a system of implementing and enforcing norms and controls.

The economic role of the landing sites need not be overlooked. It revolves around the fish economy. Where the ocean coasts are the breeding grounds, the fishers are the exploitative agents of the natural resource and the landing site is the distribution center with all its attendant complexities. When catches are good the landing site is full of activity and its divergent players are happy. It's no wonder then that the fishing community has always constructed structures similar to those at home at these sites.

I propose that these sites could have better been the most useful administrative points for the fisher community. Traditionally they have been exactly that, but under the British colonial powers these places were never recognized and attention was paid to the otherwise conspicuous centers found inland. While the advantage has been that the otherwise fear attached to administrators was rather removed from such adored places, it helped alienate the people from governance and perhaps the failure of the present administration to precisely pinpoint what the people, especially the fishers, feel and want.

Why a fish landing Banda at Chale-Kinondo?

From our studies on 'Investigation of traditional fishing methods, taboos and cultural agreements of fishing communities in the use of coastal waters in Southern Kenya' it became apparent to us that the landing site is the 'heart' of a fishing group. Most of the fishermen interviewed (200 respondents) spent over 50% of their time in these locations. Of all the places with highest communal use and value, the fish landing sites were ranked first. About a communal meeting point with a chance of meeting the highest representation of the different age facets of the fishing community, village markets were top (60%) followed by the landing sites (50%) though the latter had a better score of average daily frequencies, unlike the village markets which were frequented mainly on two week days. As pointed out, any dealings with this fishing community would be better felt at the landing sites.

Constructing a 'Fish Banda' in Chale-Kinondo landing site

Also consider the various uses of the landing site: a meeting point, for storage of gear and other fishing gadgets, for sorting of fish catches, a place of selling and buying, an arbitration point, a place where fishers offer rituals and seek favors from the deity, a point where food is made or brought to the hungry ones and a point which binds the fishers together. In matching these requirements and uses with the available structure at the Chale-Kinondo landing site, a situation that is similar along the entire coast, and going by our objective of instituting measures that would ensure long-term sustainable extraction of coastal resources and uplifting the living standards of those living along the world's coasts, we felt a strong compulsion for a better structure at the fishing sites. In summary we mention below the reasons and justifications for a better structure at the fish landing site, a structure built reflecting the real needs and aspirations of the fisher community, that would be of immediate use to the fishers, who have for a long time struggled to erect such a site, failing due to low incomes from the fish catches and local building technologies. We appreciated their attempts and trials, and in unison we sat and agreed on a 'fish Banda' that is appropriate to the situation and need.

Justifications for an improved Fish Banda at Chale-Kinondo landing site

To offer a facility that can be used to for storage purposes. To assist in storing the fishing nets, traps, buoys and other gadgets used by the fishermen in fishing expeditions.
The intended structure is to be fitted with a refrigeration system which will improve the time span between fish capture and sale. This will afford the fishermen a better pay from the catches, and help in instituting better returns from the same amount of catch. A vital aspect in enhancing sustainability and improving living standards with the same level of resource extraction.
A landing site is a market place; fishermen sell fish catches to traders. By having a structure here we provide shade, we provide point centrality for the transaction, and most vitally, fish handling hygiene is immensely improved. The fishermen can therefore improve on the marketing dynamics, especially with higher-paying and better buyers like the tourist hotels.
We intend for the women who sell foodstuffs to have a roof over their heads, against the adversaries of weather as they serve the fishermen. They will now have a place to prepare the meals and to keep or sell the food other than under trees and on the open beaches. Consequently, the fishermen will have a place to sit and eat, even as they tire from the fishing tasks and wait for the gear preparations for the next day's fishing expedition.
Improve on the group hold and communal strength of the fishermen group. By bestowing the ownership of such a structure in the hands of the local fishermen group, their pride and wealth is increased. Our first task dealt with strengthening the group's management skills. Several trainings are still in the pipeline, and it's already appreciated that the group has managed together to assist in the structure construction. Their active participation and co-operation have seen the building completed on time and at minimal cost.
A place to keep records about the group activities. They have money to keep records of; they are reminded to keep records of catches to assist the government in development and initiation of management plans. Fishery records are a vital component in understanding the fishery situation and resources of any given place. Encouraging the fishermen to be involved in the monitoring process is already being encouraged by one of our collaborating partners, as it is seen as a useful step that will also be assisted by this structure.

Other various benefits will accrue from this development. It is our hope that the fishermen will make good use of this facility to improve their living standards, enhance the sustainable use of their coastal resources and use it as a catalyst to strengthen their group synergistic efforts towards other rewarding adventures outside the realm of fishing like tapping trickle-down effects of the tourism industry through education about local fishing traditions.

Literature Coast Development Authority (2002) The riches of Diani Chale. Mombasa, Kenya
Spear, TT (1978) A history of Mijikenda peoples of Kenya Coast to 1900. Nairobi, Kenya Literature Bureau
Ngweno, B (1995) Reinventing ground rules: inheritance of land, among the Digo of Southern Kenya. Master of Arts thesis, Stanford University, USA

Report, May 10, 2003 (Katete Onyango George, EEIU Kenya/Mombasa)

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EEIU Kenya/Mombasa shifts to a bigger office

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa has continued to make positive strides day after day. This can be seen not only from the intensive environmental activities organized and performed through the Eco-Clubs but also through the ecologically friendly projects we initiate together with the help of local community members and other stakeholders. Since last year (2002) EEIU Kenya/Mombasa has emerged as one of the most popular regional institutions, among many others, with our collaborative agencies and local stakeholders being fully aware of our input in this part of the coastal region. Indeed, we are proud of this, thanks to EEIU headquarters in Oldendorf/Luhe, Germany, under the wise leadership of President Prof. Otto Kinne and Coordinator Mary Batson. We also thank our main funding agency, the Lighthouse Foundation in Hamburg, Germany, headed by Mr. Jens Ambsdorf and his team, for the financial support they accord to our institution. We therefore most humbly appreciate the continuous support from our two foreign sponsors.

On 11 April 2003 EEIU Kenya/Mombasa shifted its base from the small, single-room office that we occupied at the Motor-Mart building along the Moi Avenue in Mombasa to a bigger and more spacious one. Our new office is situated in the suburban area of Ganjoni, along Sauti ya Kenya Streets, opposite DT Dobie in Mombasa City.

Earlier, EEIU Kenya/Mombasa staff members cited the following reasons to justify their preference of a bigger office space:

1) Over the past year EEIU Kenya/Mombasa has grown tremendously, both in size and performance. Starting in 2003 we propose to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM), which all our Local Chapter Members (fully registered with us) will be invited to attend to assess the progress our Chapter has made. Such a meeting could now be possible in our spacious office.
2) EEIU Kenya/Mombasa needs to be situated in a quiet and relatively cooler environment, free from interruptions or loud noise. This condition was not met in any way while in our previous office which was situated along the city center. Loud music from the neighborhoods seemed a big hindrance to our work. Thus, by moving to our new office we have avoided such inconveniences.
3) EEIU Kenya/Mombasa plans to engage under attachment students who have interests in our projects or activities. In the past year there were regular visits by polytechnic and university students seeking an attachment programme with us. They were, however, turned away, since the previous office space was not large enough to cater for people apart from staff.
4) A bigger room to act as a Library and Resource Center. We intend to have books, journals and computers in one room. Anyone with old books, journals, or CDs of environmental information can easily qualify as our proud donor. We are also looking for world maps as educational materials for our Eco-Clubs. We are moving towards establishing a center of excellence for the establishment of ecological ethics and environmental education.
5) Though our former office looked small in size, this never seemed a bottleneck to our performance. The output derived from our performance under the leadership of Chair Mr. Okeyo was of immense value. Although the office size was small and resources were minimal, we were able to put into maximum use the few available resources to achieve the best.

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa and Eco-Club Members find our spacious office more resourceful when it comes to fulfilling Eco-Club objectives. In conclusion, it is the wish of Chapter Members that our efforts together as a team will be proportional to the bigger size of the new office.

January 23, 2003

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Workshop:
People and Sustainability of Coastal Resources

Abbreviated Report^*

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3 — 5 December 2002
University of Nairobi's Marine Sciences Field Station, Diani-Mombasa, Kenya

Under the auspices of the project: An investigation into traditional fishing methods, taboos and cultural agreements of fishing communities in the use of coastal waters in the southern coast of Kenya, sponsored by the Lighthouse Foundation, Germany

^*A full-length report is available from the EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Chapter, Motor Mart Building, 1st Floor, Rm 10, PO Box 1462, Mombasa, Kenya

OBJECTIVES

Give an account of what has or has not been done within the first year of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa's project on Kenya's South Coast
Bring together stakeholders of Kenya's South Coast resources — to inform, learn and share experiences
Create an atmosphere for interaction among coastal resource stakeholders as a prerequisite for second project phase dealing with mediation and dialogue institution
Review and generate socio-economic activities in target communities

FULL REPORT CONTENTS

Project Background Structure
Short Remarks

Section A: Objectives and speeches

Workshop Theme and Objectives
Summary of Workshop

Section B: Project Area

Description of Kenyan Coasts and Coastal Communities
Participatory Monitoring along Diani Beach

Section C: Project Clients: Getting into Traditions, Taboos & Culture

Kaya Elders: What They Do
Fishermen Groups — Activities
EEIU Kenya/Mombasa and its Anticipated Community Project
The Role of Tradition in Social Life, Concept of Science and Ethics: With Mention of Related Activities in the Peruvian Amazon
Plenary Discussion on Possible Mediation Technique in Coastal Resource Use

Section D: Culture: in the Management of Coastal Resources

Tenets of Digo Culture and Traditions
Activities of EEIU Kenya/Mombasa
EEIU — Concepts and Theses
Eco-Ethics and Econ-Ethics

Section E: Fisheries and Traditions along the Kenyan Coast

Local Digo Fishermen and their Roles within the Realms of Coastal Resource Use
Artisanal Fisheries along the Kenyan Coast: Seasons and Gears

Section F: Institutional Roles and Responsibilities along the Kenyan Coast

Roles of Non-Governmental Organizations in Conservation of Coastal Resources
Roles of Donor Funding in Coastal Development Projects: The Case of Lighthouse Foundation

Section G: Visitation to Project Areas

Section H: Recommendations

Section I: Annex

Annex 1: List of Participants
Annex 2: Synonyms
Annex 3: Participants' Expectations
Annex 4: Digo Calendar
Annex 5: Workshop Programme

REPORT CIRCULATION

EEIU Headquarters
Lighthouse Foundation
Government of Kenya (Divisional Office, Msabweni)
CORDIO (Coral Reef Degradation in Indian Ocean) East Africa
KESCOM (Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation Committee)
National Museums of Kenya
Diani Kaya Elders Committee
PD. Dr. Broder Breckling, Universität Bremen, Germany
Fishermen Group Representatives
Coastal Forest Conservation Groups
Eco-Club, Logitech School
Coast Development Authority
Wildlife Clubs of Kenya
Kenya Wildlife Services
Kenya Hotels and Catering Association
Egerton University
Nairobi University, College of Marine Sciences
Coastal Forest Conservation Project
Teen Watch, Ukunda
Chiefs' Office, Diani
Chiefs' Office, Kinondo
Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries, Coast Fisheries Officer, Mombasa

REMARKS

'Unlike other bodies who have approached us, we are happy with EEIU Kenya/Mombasa because we feel as though we own it. We were instrumental in the initiation of its project at the coast. We were approached, consulted, and even recommended the recruitment of one of their main staff. We are more at liberty to approach the institution through him and he at least recognizes our role in his appointment.' Chief Diani Location Bwana Athumani Mwakinemwa

'I am looking forward to more cooperation from EEIU Kenya/Mombasa, more positive trickle-down effects of their initiatives to the local people. I also h

Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics (ESEP)

Inter-Research

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Reports

EEIU Mombasa Reports Eco-Club Activities

Introduction

1. Commemoration of World Desertification Day at St. Augustine

Activities of the day

2. Eco Trip

Marine environment degradation

The role of pupils in marine conservation

CONCLUSION

Seminar Proceedings: 7-8 May 2004

Developing countries struggle with creation of employment opportunities but are unable to keep pace with challenges of rehabilitating degraded environments

Fish Banda Opening Ceremony; 19 July 2003, Kinondo-Chale site

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa organisational structure: organizational re-engineering

Working with fishermen in Chale, Kinondo (Diani, Mombasa)

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa shifts to a bigger office

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Workshop: People and Sustainability of Coastal Resources

3 — 5 December 2002 University of Nairobi's Marine Sciences Field Station, Diani-Mombasa, Kenya

OBJECTIVES

FULL REPORT CONTENTS

REPORT CIRCULATION

REMARKS

Developing countries struggle with creation of employment opportunities
but are unable to keep pace with challenges of
rehabilitating degraded environments

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa organisational structure:
organizational re-engineering

EEIU Kenya/Mombasa Workshop:
People and Sustainability of Coastal Resources

3 — 5 December 2002
University of Nairobi's Marine Sciences Field Station, Diani-Mombasa, Kenya