FISH-RESTOCKING OF LAKES IN KENYA: SHOULD SOLEMNLY BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE

Abstract

The self-described “social-ecologist”, Peter Drucker, said that what gets measured gets managed; a statement that could have welcomed political and social concepts into environmental matters. A case in point is the fish restocking (a type of fish biomanipulation) in many lakes in the world and with special reference in the tropics. However, due to the increased anthropogenic impacts and eutrophication of the aquatic ecosystem in the tropics (and in particular Kenya) is becoming increasingly apparent; the need for proper management strategies for a sustainable fishery is becoming non-negotiable. Under such a perspective, fish biomanipulation that was coined by Shapiro (1975) could be a self proclamation that the road from basic science to its application could be winding and the process laborious. Despite some positive results of fish biomanipulation in the temperate regions, this management approach seems to elicit ecological debate at political, environmental and social fora since its successes seems to be of short-term need. This paper reviews the fish biomanipulation process and principles, the successes and limitations; thereby highlighting on the need for defining theoretical explanations and their practical implications in the present scientific world. This is because details of the process have to be verified in the light of frequent future applications rather than on political and social undertones that damage the ecological wellbeing.