OCEAN SEMINAR SERIES: "Billfish research in the WIO region-the intricacies", by Dr Nina Wambiji

We are glad to inform that Dr Nina Wambiji, Assistant director of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute, will be giving an online seminar next Thursday February 23rd 2023.
The seminar is organised in the framework of the Ocean Seminar Series. These events are part of the Societal Challenge Oceans of María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence (MdM).

OCEAN SEMINAR SERIES
 

Title: “Billfish research in the WIO region-the intricacies”

Speaker: Dr Nina Wambiji, Assistant director of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute

Date: Thursday, February 23^rd , 2023
Time: 1pm
Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89464860072?pwd=WkFSclAvQUljNzFvMGZVZWNGNzk1dz09

Billfish as large apex predators are increasingly becoming vulnerable due to human-induced activities such as fishing. Yet, there are data gaps on their catch dynamics, ecological and socio-economic aspects, and stock structure in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. While the presence of billfish species has placed the coast of East Africa and Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region on the world map of billfish ‘hot spots’, this limitation hinders their effective conservation and management nationally and regionally. Furthermore, three of the five billfish species of the WIO are considered overfished, vulnerable and data deficient. Thus, the need to understand the interactions between billfish and associated fisheries in terms of catch dynamics and impacts, develop the capacity of countries to collect and report data, and devise practical and simple mechanisms to collate data from the diverse fisher groups.

The BILLFISH-WIO Project funded by WIOMSA covers 10 countries in the Western Indian Ocean, and has worked with collaborators across the globe integrating cutting edge science with citizen science while mentoring more than ten postgraduate and undergraduate students. The research has led to a better understanding of 1) billfish and associated fishery including fishery type, gears and fishing locations, catch volumes and bycatch species 2) community perceptions and motivations including value chains and governance issues around billfish and 3) spatial and temporal distribution of billfish including hotspots and where they are landed. We outline opportunities and lessons provided by this multi-country and multi-disciplinary work, which in turn contribute to aspirations for achieving Blue Economy, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Ocean Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

Bio

She is Dr Nina Wambiji, Assistant director of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute. She holds a PhD in Marine Environmental Sciences (Fish Physiology) from the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. Nina has diverse research interests which include (i) using molecular techniques to explore fish physiology and its utility in the exploitation of fish among coastal fishing communities, (ii) examining the ecology of marine invertebrates, near-shore fish species and large pelagics, and marine mammals, and their importance in the sustainable use and management, and (iii) the management of Marine Biodiversity Data through the African Register of Marine Species (AfreMas).