Along Kenya’s south coast, five species of sea turtles share their waters with hundreds of artisanal, or small-scale fishing vessels. For generations, these fishers have depended on the ocean for food, income, and tradition. But as fishing pressure increases, so does an unseen threat – the accidental capture of sea turtles in fishing nets, also known as bycatch.
Bycatch, or, the unintentional capture of species not targeted by fishermen, is one of the most serious global threats sea turtles face. When sea turtles become trapped in active nets, they suffer injuries, and many even die from drowning because they cannot reach the surface to breathe.
Although it is easy to assume that industrial fishing fleets are the main cause, research shows that small-scale fisheries can cause just as much sea turtle mortality than large commercial operations.
Did you know? Artisanal fisheries are small-scale, traditional fisheries carried out for subsistence or commercial purposes, where the owner is directly involved in daily operations and uses relatively little capital
Kenya’s artisanal fisheries
As per Kenya’s fisheries data, the country’s marine fishery is overwhelmingly artisanal. In 2022, the country recorded 37,494 MT of caught fish, and artisanal fishers were responsible for 35,596 MT of that total.
The artisanal sector therefore is not only the backbone of coastal livelihoods, employing thousands of fishers, but it is also central to local food security and economy.This is why balancing livelihoods and conservation is important.
Because small-scale fishers operate mainly in nearshore areas, their activities tend to overlap directly with sea turtle habitats. But monitoring these interactions is extremely challenging.
- Most small vessels are under 12 metres long and cannot carry onboard observers.
- Fishing effort is widely spread along the coast, making interviews or landing site surveys difficult
- Resources for monitoring are limited in many developing nations
Therefore, finding practical ways to assess, monitor, and reduce bycatch in small-scale fisheries is a high conservation priority.
ORP-Kenya’s community-led approach
Since 2022, the ORP-Kenya team has been working with fishing communities along the coast to inspire conservation action on the ground. Since sea turtles are part of daily life for these communities, as fishers see them often while working, we build on this long-standing connection by offering training sessions in sea turtle ecology, biology and rescue, and by supporting interested individuals to become ‘Balozi Wa Kasa‘ or Sea Turtle Ambassadors (STAs) within their communities.
From our interactions, fishers, including STAs, openly acknowledge that bycatch occurs. But because it is illegal to capture sea turtles, many are afraid to report these incidents. Still, almost every net fisher we have spoken to over the years has experienced bycatch.
Fishers also tend to see bycatch as an economic issue. If a sea turtle becomes severely entangled, fishers often have to cut parts of the net to free it. Repairing these nets requires time and money – costs that weigh heavily on communities already facing financial challenges. Many fishers know that modifying their gear could help reduce bycatch, but such changes are often too expensive. Nets are also shared among groups, so no single fisher can make decisions.
Despite these challenges, many fishers expressed genuine interest in solutions that protect sea turtles without harming their livelihoods. This interest helped shape ORP- Kenya’s current bycatch mitigation study.
Bycatch mitigation study: testing lights on nets
Studies from around the world suggest that adding LED lights to gillnets can reduce sea turtle bycatch by up to 40%, without affecting the target fish catch. The science behind it is fascinating. Sea turtles can see certain wavelengths of light, especially UV, much better than many commercially important fish that have natural UV filters in their eyes.
In simpler words, sea turtles can spot illuminated nets more easily, while the fish cannot.
Encouraged by these findings, ORP-Kenya launched a year-long LED bycatch mitigation study in June 2025, supported by funding from Animal Saviours and a micro-grant from SWOT. The study is being carried out with permissions and support from Kenyan authorities, including Kwale County Officials, County Fisheries, Kenya Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute.
Our team is working with nine gill-net fishers, three each from the Mwakamba, Mwaepe, and Chale-Jeza Beach Management Units (BMUs), who are testing whether LED lights attached to bottom-set gillnets can reduce sea turtle bycatch in the Diani-Chale Marine National Reserve.
We began with bottom-set gill nets because they are left in the water for longer periods, making consistent data collection easier.
Did you know?
Gillnets are popular in artisanal fisheries because they are simple to use, cost-effective, and catch a wide range of fish.
But their near invisibility underwater also makes them one of the most dangerous gears for sea turtles – once caught, the turtle may drown if it’s unable to reach the surface to breathe.
How the study works
The study uses a simple process that fits easily into participating fishers’ normal routines:
- Fishers set their bottom-set gillnets at their usual locations.
- Nets remain in the water for at least 24 hours.
- When checking the nets, fishers record: target catch, bycatch – including sea turtles, environmental conditions, and zero-catch days in a data log sheet
- The same steps are repeated with LED-illuminated nets and non-illuminated nets.
By comparing catch data from both nets over time, the study will show whether LED lights truly reduce sea turtle bycatch, without affecting the fishers’ target catch.
A fisher-led effort
This study is not a top-down effort, it is a partnership. Fishers helped design the trial methods with ORP, they choose their fishing sites, and collect almost all the data themselves. This ensures that the results reflect real-world fishing conditions.
When fishers take the lead, they become more curious, invested, and motivated to protect the ecosystems they depend on. If the LED lights work in Diani-Chale, we hope these same fishers will become the first advocates for wider adoption through the Sea Turtle Ambassador network.
Looking ahead
A mid-project workshop is planned for December, where ORP and supporting authorities will review early results. These findings will guide discussions on expanding the initiative to more fishing communities along the coast.
As this year-long study continues, our team, local partners, and the fishers themselves are uniting for a thriving ocean – where fishing traditions continue, and sea turtles thrive
