Kenya & Somalia
Massive fish die-off in Somali and Kenyan waters

afrol News, 1 February - There are reports of large numbers of dead fish being washed ashore all along the coasts of Kenya and Somalia during the last weeks. Environmentalists suspect the phenomenon "is due to a freak off-season bloom of naturally occurring toxic algae."

A steady influx of reports this week of a massive fish die-off in Kenyan and Somali waters is puzzling environmentalists. According to reports to local UN agencies in Somalia, the phenomenon has been going on during "the last couple of weeks." The fish die-off then was reported to have moved southwards a few days ago, reaching the Kenyan coastline at Kiunga, near the Somali border.

In Somalia, "dead and dying fish are being washed ashore from Kismayo, 500 km southwest of Mogadishu, to Bosasso, 1,500 km northeast of the Somali capital," according to UN sources. This represents the entire Indian Ocean coast of Somalia. The situation in the Gulf of Aden west of Bosasso (Somaliland's coastline) is still unclear.

Early this week, the phenomenon reached the Kenyan coast at Kiunga, steadily creeping southwards. According to the last reports by the conservation organisation WWF, fish deaths are now being reported in Kiwayu, Pate and Lamu Islands, 60 kilometres south of Kiunga. 

The fish die-off is reported be causing both concern and anxiety among the local fishing communities and hoteliers. "Huge numbers of fish, including manta rays, sharks and tuna have been washed ashore, and fishers have stopped fishing because they are scared they could be poisoned by whatever is killing the fish," WWF reports from Kenya. "Several green and hawksbill turtles have also been found dead." 

UN sources in Somalia report having "all types of fish being washed ashore in the last couple of weeks, ... even sharks." Dead and dying fish are washed ashore in the ports and beaches of all major Somali coastal towns, including Mogadishu and Bosasso.

While there still is no explanation the sudden event, speculations among the coastal inhabitants have increasing. In Somalia, some people are blaming foreign vessels for the phenomenon, accusing them of dumping poisonous waste into Somali waters, according to UN sources. Others have claimed that the fish was poisoned by chemicals used by foreign navies exercising in the area and preparing to attack alleged terrorist bases in Somalia. In Kenya, theories about a possible oil spill in Somali waters have been launched.

The scale of the disaster however seems to rule out an environmental accident involving fishing vessels. "Nothing as large as this has ever been mapped in Eastern Africa," said Julie Church, working for a WWF project in Kenya. "Since the 1998 El Niño episode, Somalia is reported to have had two similar events, but on a smaller scale," she however holds.

Theories so far connect the fish die-off to a possible booming of concentrations of toxic algae, which may have been induced by changes in water temperature or nutrients. WWF and marine scientists in the region are highly suspicious that the local waters are experiencing an unusually big so-called "red tide" episode. 

According to experts, a "red tide" - an explosion of microscopic toxic algae that colour ocean waters reddish brown - normally occurs when ocean surface waters are warm, calm and high in nutrients. "However, the sea in the affected area is currently windy and rough, perplexing the scientists," WWF notes.

Investigations into the event are ongoing on both sides of the border. In Somalia, the Mogadishu government has asked for the assistance from the UN and the International Maritime Organisation to collect and analyse fish and water samples. Further, the environmental group Ecoterra International is monitoring and assessing the situation on a daily basis. 

In Kenya, the national Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KEMFRI), supported by WWF, the Fisheries Department in Lamu, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the University of Nairobi, are investigating the cause of the current die-off. 

The first researchers at the northern parts of the Kenyan coast yesterday, and immediately started to take samples of dead fish. The fish samples and water taken from different depths of the ocean was taken to Nairobi for analysis, and preliminary laboratory tests have detected harmful algae. Some samples have been sent to experts in South Africa for further investigations. 

Concern has been expressed for the health and livelihood of the Somali and Kenyan coastal population. Most local communities depend on fishing for their livelihood, and the scale of the disaster could indicate that entire fish stocks could be severely reduced for several years. Experts say the phenomenon could last for months and cannot be controlled. 

According to KEMFRI investigator Kuria Kairu, there is concern the fish die-off might have an impact on the Kenyan economy. Mr Kairu told the Nairobi based daily 'The Nation' his institute would soon "release a report on the potential impact of the fish deaths on the Kenyan fishing industry and economy." 

From Somalia, local UN representatives have reported to the UN humanitarian agency OCHOA that some Somalis "are eating the fish being washed up, ignorant of the health implications." There are no reports of human deaths in this context, but according to a statement by Ecoterra, people from the southern Somali town Kismayu who had eaten fish washed ashore had suffered diarrhoea. The group warned that contaminated fish are "potentially lethal" to human beings and other animals and could lead to poisoning disorders. 

The Kenyan government meanwhile has issued a warning on fishing and the consumption of freshly caught fish until the possible dangers are more closely mapped. The BBC reports that fishermen along the affected coast have suspended their operations fearing that their catch could be poisonous.

Environmentalists also express concern over fragile coastal resorts, which may have their ecosystems altered. Mrs Church, WWF's leader for the Kiunga Marine National Reserve project in Kenya, fears possible consequences for the project she is heading, protecting the rich biodiversity of the reserve.

Sources: Based on WWF, UN sources, Ecoterra, local media reports and afrol archives

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