KWS RECEIVES MARINE EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLE DONATION

Date Published:

Friday, May 13, 2016 - 10:00

KCDP Project Manager, Dr. Jacqueline Uku (second left) and KMFRI Deputy Director for Finance and Administration, Mr. Abraham Kagwima (centre) hands over the marine equipment to KWS staff led the Deputy Director Parks and Reserves, Mr. Julius Kimani (second right).

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has received marine equipment worth Ksh. 56,742,987 and a hard-top Land Cruiser worth Ksh.7 million bought through the Kenya Coastal Development Project (KCD The Kenya Coastal Development Project is a multi-sectoral development initiative financed by the World Bank and GEF and implemented by seven government agencies, including KWS, in the Coast region.

The initiative seeks to promote an environmentally sustainable management of Kenya’s coastal and marine resources by strengthening the capacity of the existing relevant agencies and by enhancing the capacity of rural micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in selected coastal communities.

The handing over of the equipment and flagging off of the new vehicle was presided over by the KWS Deputy Director Parks and Reserves, Mr. Julius Kimani and KMFRI Deputy Director for Finance and Administration Mr. Abraham Kagwima, the Project Manager Dr. Jacqueline Uku and Component 2 Manager Mr. Adan Kala, among other senior staff from KWS and KCDP.

As part effective management of marine national parks and reserves, KWS procured the equipment Kisite Mpunguti, Mombasa, Watamu, Malindi and Kiunga Marine Parks. The equipment includes: -

  • Mooring buoys
  • Demarcation buoys
  • Hydraulic drill machine
  • Polypropylene ropes
  • Stainless steel eye bolts and other accessories
  • Specialised instant repair cement

Installation of Buoys in Marine Protected Areas

There has been a growing concern amongst professionals from marine protected areas that many of these areas around the world are not achieving the objectives for which they were established. One of the solutions is to increase the effectiveness of protected areas and to help this process a number of assessment tools have been developed.

The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) has therefore, developed a framework, which provide overall guidance in the development of assessment systems and to encourage standards for assessment and reporting.

This is based on the idea that good protected area management follows a process that has six distinct stages: it begins with understanding the context of existing values and threats, progresses through planning and allocation of resources (inputs), and as a result of management actions (processes), eventually produces products and services (outputs), that result in impacts or outcomes.

Whereas KWS has successfully implemented the first two distinct stages, the later four stages are yet to be adequately met. The installation of these buoys will, therefore, enhance the implementation of these stages with more allocation of resources and enhanced management actions. It is envisaged that this will further increases products, services and impacts enhancing the management effectiveness of the Kenyan marine protected areas.

Therefore, the buoys are meant to improve and achieve management effectiveness in Kenya’s marine protected areas by serving as management tools used in enforcement of marine parks and reserves’ rules and regulations. The management effectiveness areas targeted include: -

  • The marine parks and reserves boundary demarcation to create awareness to users, and particularly fishers on the boundaries of the protected area so as to prevent encroachment and illegal fishing in marine parks;
  • The demarcation of various use zones in the marine protected areas as outlined in the management plans;
  • To establish specific and adequate sites for mooring of boats to prevent anchoring on coral reefs, thus preventing damage of ecosystems;