Effects of artisanal small-scale gold mining on fisheries management of Lake Victoria, Kenya

Abstract

Artisanal Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) has direct and indirect impacts on fisheries management. These impacts are mainly about the quality of the water where fish lives, ownership of the surrounding waters, land and human health. This study was carried out in two landing sites of Wagusu and Riskis Kogwari in Central- Sakwa Location of Siaya County in Kenya in which Kibere and Kajohn gold mining areas are located. The findings indicate that identifying the sources of conflicts (land, water, gold, fish, fishing and mining equipment, and vegetation) between artisanal fishers and small-scale gold miners is a stage in improving fisheries management, as it gives the root cause of the problem. Other findings indicate that challenges to fisheries management resulting from ASGM activities include (inadequate funds and mining skills; political interference, illegality of some sectors of the ASGM sector; corruption, and failure to represent ASGM in the Beach Management Unit (BMU) committees). In order to address these challenges, we propose that the illegal sectors of ASGM should be legalized. In addition, efforts should be taken to combat corruption, and reward and punish BMU working with the ASGM sector. Furthermore, we recommend for the improvement of the landing sites infrastructure, and the ASGM stakeholders need to be represented in the BMU committees as means of enhancing co-management in fisheries management.

Keywords: Artisanal Small-scale Gold Mining, Beach Management Unit, Fisheries Management, Lake Victoria.