A Predator-Prey Model with an Application to Lake Victoria Fisheries

Greater complexity in renewable resource models is achieved by acknowledging that species interact through a predator-prey relationship in which both species are harvested. The price of greater complexity is that traditional concepts, such as maximum sustained yield (MSY), have to be revised dramatically. Moreover, having chosen greater complexity, fishery biologists and other researchers must choose an explicit value for each fish, a rate of exchange of one species for every other species. Policy makers and social scientists in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda with a keen interest in Lake Victoria fisheries regard the resource as a tool for furthering socioeconomic goals, such as foreign exchange earnings, employment for women, and nutrition. Comparative analysis allows policy makers to understand the consequences of choosing these goals in addition to economically efficient resource use. Foreign exchange earnings, employment for women, and healthy people are other goals promulgated by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda in the management of Lake Victoria Fisheries. The conflicts among social goals are evident in the bioeconomic predator-prey model: a goal favoring a particular species reduces the sustainable harvest of another species. Data from Kenya are used to estimate the population dynamics equations.predator-prey, bioeconomic model, Lake Victoria, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q22, Q28,

Socioeconomic factors that affect artisanal fishers’ readiness to exit a declining fishery

The emerging world crisis created by declining fish stocks poses a challenge to resource users and managers. The problem is particularly acute in poor nations, such as those in East Africa, where fishing is an important subsistence activity but high fishing intensity and use of destructive gear have resulted in declining catches. In this context developing effective management strategies requires an understanding of how fishers may respond to declines in catch. We examined the readiness of 141 Kenyan fishers to stop fishing under hypothetical scenarios of declines in catch and how socioeconomic conditions influenced their decisions. As expected, the proportion of fishers that would exit the fishery increased with magnitude of decline in catch. Fishers were more likely to say they would stop fishing if they were from households that had a higher material style of life and a greater number of occupations. Variables such as capital investment in the fishery and the proportion of catch sold had weak, nonsignificant relationships. Our finding that fishers from poorer households would be less likely to exit a severely declining fishery is consistent with the literature on poverty traps, which suggests the poor are unable to mobilize the necessary resources to overcome either shocks or chronic low-income situations and consequently may remain in poverty. This finding supports the proposition \ud that wealth generation and employment opportunities directed at the poorest fishers may help reduce fishing effort on overexploited fisheries, but successful interventions such as these will require an understanding of the socioeconomic context in which fishers operate. \u

Capacity-building village sanitation committees accelerates and sustains communities open defecation free status

Since 2016, Amref Health Africa has been implementing the Kenya Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement Programme (K-SHIP) funded by Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) through the Global Sanitation Fund (GSF). The K-SHIP1 has formed and trained 6480 village sanitation committees (VSCs) on community-led total sanitation (CLTS). However, early to mid-2016, there was slow pace delivering villages ODF because VSCs` capacity-building was not emphasized and streamlined. To accelerate the pace, the programme innovatively resorted to capacity-build VSCs which enabled the K-SHIP to achieve more ODF villages (149 in 2016 and 410 in 2017). This is after ensuring key competencies are acquired by VSCs through a 2-day training and on-job-orientation on CLTS incorporating Sanitation Marketing and Equity & Inclusion during follow-ups. This paper aims to emphasise that to improve CLTS efficiency, sustainability and hence health outcomes and building up strong socio-economic-ODF-slippage-free communities, proper capacity building to VSCs is necessary

Structured decision-making shows broad support from diverse stakeholders for habitat conservation and restoration in Kenya’s Central Highlands

The need for targeted restoration in regions where ecosystem integrity has become compromised is now widely recognised. Local community views, alongside those of other stakeholders, should be incorporated into transparent decision-making to ensure conservation/restoration activities are successful. We used a structured decision-making approach, working with stakeholders and local communities, to pose and answer the following question for Kenya’s Central Highlands: “what future land-use options [2030] are feasible for the study region, which is most preferable, how does this vary between different stakeholder groups, and what values drive these preferences?”. We engaged with 51 individuals from six stakeholder groups (Big Farms, Conservationists, Counties, Forest Users, Pastoralists, Smallholders). As individuals, the stakeholders held significantly different values for provisioning, cultural, regulation and maintenance ecosystem services. However, following consensus-building activities within the six groups, shared values and perspectives emerged. The future land-use option of habitat conservation/restoration was preferred by the majority of stakeholder groups, although one (Big Farms) favoured increased plantation forestry. Water resource management was also prioritised consistently. By using structured decision-making, we demonstrate that ecosystem restoration is compatible with the views and values of smallholders and forest users, as well as those with a direct interest in conservation. Structured decision-making processes can facilitate stakeholders with disparate views to work towards a consensus regarding future land-use options, aiding environmental planning and implementation

Sustainability, Livelihood, Production and Effort Supply in a Declining Fishery. The case of Kenya's Lake Victoria fisheries.

In this chapter, Kenya's fishing industry is described. The chapter commences with an overview of the entire fishery sector in the country and follows this with a detailed analysis of the fisheries of Lake Victoria, the subject of this study. In presenting an overview of the country's entire fishing industry, we seek to show that despite the sector's small contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP), it is a significant source of livelihood and employment for many Kenyans. The dominance of Lake Victoria fisheries in the industry is emphasised as a justification for the choice of these fisheries as the subject of the research. To motivate the subsequent analysis, the factors responsible for biodiversity loss in the Kenyan fisheries of Lake Victoria are discussed in detail. The chapter, in addition, presents a comprehensive analysis of fish marketing and pricing and their socio-econo-environmental effects. Since fish is a nutritionally rich food, we assess its position, relative to other foodstuffs, in the country's national food policy. Existing literature and data, together with the micro-data obtained from the survey described in Chapter 2, are used.chapter in: Ikiara, M.M. 1999 Sustainability, Livelihoods, Production, and Effort Supply in a Declining Fishery: The Case of Kenya’s Lake Victoria Fisheries. University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, PhD Thesis,Publishe

Influence of management practices in the training of quality graduates in the university in Kenya

Universities play a critical role in contributing to the economic development of any nation. They develop manpower which is a significant driver of economic growth. In view of this, effective management of universities is a concern of all the stakeholders. Management, practices are linked to the success of universities in nurturing holistic graduates who have the necessary knowledge, skills, competencies and values that are required in a globally competitive society. However, universities in Africa and in Kenya in particular have continued to be ranked lowly in terms of the quality of graduates. The lagging behind is attributed to inadequate acquisition of critical skills and application of knowledge. This is further attributed to inadequate adoption of management practices that support training of quality graduates by the universities. In this regard, the study set out; to determine the extent to which management practices in curriculum leadership are applied in universities in training of quality graduates, to determine the extent to which management practices in teaching and learning are applied in universities in training of quality graduates, to determine the extent to which management practices in faculty management are applied in universities in training of quality graduates, and to determine the extent to which management practices in management support are applied in universities in training of quality graduates. The study was founded on system theory. However, CIPP model was used to show interrelationship between management practices and training of quality graduates. The study used descriptive survey research design. The target population was 66 universities. A sample of 7 universities was selected based on Webometric ranking of 2014. 3750 students and 1800 faculty staff were targeted. 375 students and 180 faculty were included in the study. Three instruments including questionnaires, interview guide and document analysis guide were used to collect data. Validity of the instruments was ensured through undertaking pilot study to appraise dependability of the questionnaires and interview items. Reliability of instruments was measured by use of Cronbach's coefficient alpha. The alpha for independent variable was 0.963 and 0.944 for dependent variable. Data analysis involved used of descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 20. The major findings of the study indicated curriculum leadership, teaching and learning and management support had significant influence on training of quality graduates. There was a discrepancy in acquisition of knowledge and its application among graduates from different universities. Based on the findings it was concluded that management practices have a significant influence on training of quality graduates. The study recommends the need for universities to enhance management practices identified in this study