Beekeeping helping save threatened mangroves in Lamu
Swaleh Abdalla, a former fisherman, at Chukuchu site in Lamu, where he practices beekeeping.
What you need to know:
- Lamu mangroves are classified into five management blocks: northern swamps, Pate Island Swamps, northern central swamps, southern swamps and Mongoni and Dodori Creek Swamps.
- Lamu's economic mainstay is fishing, with the fish dependent on mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses to nest and breed away from the harsh currents in the deeper waters of the Indian Ocean.
Lamu mangrove loggers and fishermen have turned to beekeeping to reduce overexploitation of forest resources and the general marine ecosystem. The loggers and fishermen, mainly from Pate Island, have now resorted to beekeeping as their alternative source of livelihood.
They are mainly from the Swahili of Bajuni origin and are famous for logging mangroves and fishing in the Indian Ocean for sustenance.
Having been in the trade for decades, they finally ventured into beekeeping three years ago. All the beekeeping activities are undertaken deep inside mangrove forests. So far, they have installed more than 60 beehives in Chukuchu area, a once-mangrove-degraded site that was restored in 2018. One of the fishermen who left fishing for beekeeping is 30-year-old Swaleh Abdalla.
Mr Abdalla says the introduction of alternative income-generating activities like apiculture has helped curb further exploitation of indigenous forest cover and boost fish numbers in Indian Ocean. Apiculture is the science of raising or maintaining colonies of bees and their hives (beekeeping). It includes using man-made beehives, where honey bees in the genus Apis are the most commonly kept species. Other honey-producing bees such as Melipona stingless bees are also kept.
"I was into fishing for more than 10 years before quitting around 2018. That time, I immersed myself fully in mangrove restoration activities. Together with other colleagues, we also tried beekeeping using locally sourced beehives. Most of our honey was used locally, mainly for medicinal purposes. With support from a well-wisher who provided us with special training and the incentives required for beekeeping, we fully embarked on the venture in 2022," said Mr Abdalla.
Mohamed Hassan, another fisherman cum mangrove logger in Lamu East, said the knowledge they have so far acquired on beekeeping has enabled them to move around Pate Island and its environs, preaching the gospel of conservation and restoration, asking people to embrace alternative livelihoods like beekeeping for their own good instead of relying on fishing and mangroves.
"A 500-gramme bottle of honey fetches me between Sh1,000 and Sh1,500. One beehive, during a good harvesting season, can produce between 15 and 20 kilogrammes of honey. This has enabled us to sustain our families and forget about fishing or logging," said Mr Hassan.
Husna Bakari, 26, admitted that beekeeping has proven to be the best alternative source of livelihood, effectively curbing overfishing in Indian Ocean and over-dependence on mangroves in Pate Island.
"Mangrove forests provide favourable fish breeding grounds. That means once degraded, fish in Indian Ocean will be reduced. That's why we have equipped our people with mangrove conservation and restoration knowledge. We have also helped them take up other ventures like beekeeping," said Ms Bakari.
Lamu's Wetlands International Project Officer Shawlet Cherono said the organisation provided the Pate community with 50 modern beehives and equipped them with the skills required to practise beekeeping successfully. "We intervened in 2022 and trained the locals on how to explore beekeeping as an alternative source of livelihood. This has helped reduce pressure on mangroves and fishing," said Ms Cherono. Africa's mangroves provide immense riches. Unfortunately, they are burdened by competing demands from people. Over-exploitation is stressing these ecosystems, threatening their productivity and the potential for sustainable economic growth.
Despite existing challenges, Lamu County still boasts of having the largest mangrove cover in Kenya at more than 60 per cent.
The National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan 2017-2027 classifies Lamu mangroves into five management blocks: northern swamps, Pate Island Swamps, northern central swamps, southern swamps and Mongoni and Dodori Creek Swamps.
Lamu's economic mainstay is fishing, with the fish dependent on mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses to nest and breed away from the harsh currents in the deeper waters of the Indian Ocean.
