Participatory experimental fishing reveals spatial and gear-specific patterns in the multispecies fishery of Lake Turkana

Lake Turkana supports a small-scale fishery whose dynamics remain poorly documented because of the lake’s remoteness and environmental variability. Following a participatory experimental fishery conducted from September 2023 to September 2024, the programme was extended in 2026 to assess fishing patterns. Fourteen fishers from seven landing sites were trained to record daily catch, species, fish length and fishing gear three days per week. Data collected between February and May 2026, with May only partially digitised, were analysed for data quality, species composition, gear signatures, size structure and spatial distribution. The dataset comprised 45,463 individual fish weighing 7,167 kg across 18 species. Data quality was exceptionally high, with only minor digitisation errors. Seven species occurred frequently: Tilapia spp. (42% of individuals), Alestes baremose (35%), Hydrocynus spp. (9%), Synodontis spp. (6%), Lates spp. (4%), Schilbe uranoscopus (1%) and Labeo horie (1%). Species and size composition varied systematically with gear, confirming distinct gear signatures: Alestes dominated smaller mesh sizes, Tilapia intermediate meshes, and larger meshes caught larger-bodied species including Nile perch. Spatial patterns were pronounced, with Alestes dominant at Lowarengak and Nachukwi, Tilapia concentrated around Kalokol near Ferguson’s Gulf, and Tigerfish prominent at Moite and Loiengalani in the southeast. These findings confirm the multispecies and multi-gear character of Lake Turkana’s fishery and demonstrate the value of involving local fishers in fisheries monitoring. Continued sampling across a full annual cycle and expansion to additional landing sites will strengthen catch assessment and support evidence-based fisheries management. Keywords: Participatory monitoring; small-scale fisheries; gear selectivity; species composition; Lake Turkana