Food Security Benefits of the Kisite Marine National Park for the Surrounding Fishing Communities

bibliographic database
Line

Book chapter

Title:	Food Security Benefits of the Kisite Marine National Park for the Surrounding Fishing Communities
Author:	Malleret-King, D.
Book title:	Recent Advances in Coastal Ecology: Studies from Kenya
Editors:	Hoorweg, J. Muthiga, N.
Year:	2003
Pages:	201-214
City of publisher:	Leiden
Publisher:	African Studies Centre
Geographic term:	Kenya
Discipline:	Environment
Subjects:	Marine Protected Area Fisheries Food - security Kisite
Abstract:	This paper aims at investigating if and how Marine Protected Areas (MPA) benefit the surrounding communities. The food security status of five fishing communities surrounding the Kisite Marine National Park on the south coast of Kenya was examined. The underlying assumption was that if MPAs benefit the surrounding fisheries, it would show in the socio-economic status of the fishing communities. Effects of the presence of the park were detected in several ways. First, it was found that households depending for their livelihoods on tourism around the parks were more food secure than the others. Secondly, it was established that the economic structure of the communities was affected by the distance of the communities from the main tour operators linked to the park. Finally, the households fishing nearer the protected reefs were found to be more food secure than the others. However, these benefits of the park are constrained by the distance of the communities from the park. (Source: Author Abstract).