Page 9 - Kenya Report

Challenges to seagrass
Anthropogenic threats to sea grass beds include shoreline construction, mechanical damage and
eutrophication, while natural causes include overgrazing, sand wave motion and storms. Overgrazing
on seagrass by the sea urchins is the principal threat to the sea grass existence. Eutrophication and
reduced predation by fish has triggered overgrazing on the seagrass by the sea urchin (NEMA, 2017). Country Profile

Lack of a true continental shelf has resulted into overexploitation of coastal resource and increased The Republic of Kenya
human activities hence negatively affecting the development of seagrass. Human activities such as the
deepening of the channels at harbours has resulted into seagrass uprooting and burial by dredge-spoil.
The increasing number of marine reserves, shore hotels and motor boat propellers because of the
expanding and busting tourism industry has substantially damaged the seagrass ecosystem. Seagrass
remain unprotected in some popular tourist attraction areas hence posing a threat to the survivability.

Damaging fishing practices such as dredging and the use of seine nets has hauled a large quantity of
seagrass, casting them under severe pressure. Trawling and seining net techniques are non- selective
in their capture hence posing a serious threat to the sea grass existence.

Other contributing factors to the poor status of sea grasses include: lack of awareness on the contribution
of seagrass to the coastal ecosystem, absence of up-to-date information and the unknown status
of most seagrass meadow, limited research on seagrass scientific conservation measures, limited
understanding on the linkage between seagrass and climate change and a poor understanding of the
threats posed to seagrass by the local coastal activities.

The Constraints
Population growth
Rising coastal population is putting
pressure on the coastal and marine Figure1: Population growth in Mombasa 1950-2030
resources. The current population
of Mombasa in 2020 is 1,296,000,
a 3.35% increase from 2019; and
historical data shows that it was
476,000 in 1990 (UN, 2019).
Most of these people have migrated
to the coastal areas from inland in
search of employment in tourism,
fisheries and maritime industry. The
result has been increased pressure
on coastal resources for instance
demand for land for settlement,
waste management, and on the
aquatic ecosystem and resources.
Increased tourism for instance,
exerts pressure on the coral Source: (UN, 2019)
reef development through over-
exploitation and competition for
access (Obura, et al., 2017).

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