Catch Composition at Vanga Landing Site, Kenya

Catch assessment surveys are important for fisheries monitoring and sustainable management of marine resources. A one-time catch assessment survey was conducted at Vanga landing site on the south coast of Kenya to evaluate fish catch composition, fishing effort, and catch rates in the artisanal fishery. Data were collected from sampled fishing trips following the standardized Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) catch assessment protocol. Information recorded included vessel and gear type, crew size, catch weight, and species composition. Fish specimens were identified to species level using standard taxonomic guides and morphometric characteristics. A total of 27 fishing trips were sampled across beach seines, reef seines, ring nets, and monofilament gillnets. The cumulative sampled catch weight was 3,326.56 kg, with an estimated total catch of 195,887 kg. Mashua-ring net operations recorded the highest total catch (157,891 kg) and highest catch per unit effort (12.82 kg), followed by fibre monofilament gillnets (12.58 kg). A total of 1,157 fish individuals belonging to 30 families and more than 60 species were recorded. Sphyraenidae was the most dominant family contributing 21.8% of the total catch, followed by Lutjanidae (14.0%) and Labridae (8.0%). At species level, Sphyraena flavicauda was the most abundant species representing 21.1% of the total catch, followed by Lutjanus lutjanus (13.6%) and Leptoscarus vaigiensis (8.0%). Ringnets contributed the highest abundance of pelagic species, while beach seines and reef seines captured more reef-associated species. The findings provide baseline information on catch composition and fishing efficiency at Vanga landing site and contribute to evidence-based fisheries management and sustainable utilization of marine fisheries resources along the Kenyan coast.