Lake Turkana expedition
Lake Turkana, located in the expansive Arid and Semiarid Lands of Kenya (ASAL) is the largest lake in Kenya and is increasingly becoming a centre of attention owing to the seemingly vast aquatic resources therein, especially fish and its product. The present exploitation levels and fishery management challenges call 
for a focussed attention. Presently, there is no comprehensive and integrated fisheries management plan. Efforts aimed at assisting the mainly pastoral and marginalised fishing communities reduce their poverty levels, increase and diversify their income base, create employment and be partners in the management and sustainable use of the resource s have been localised, uncoordinated and individual partner policy oriented. Worse still, scientifically collected and collated information to support the interventions has been lacking and only available in fragments.
The fishery management challenges include inadequate data on catch assessment, current fish stocks status and their distribution by area, depth and region. Presence of various unidentified fish parasites and extensive loss of income to the fishers and traders owing to heavy post harvest losses need immediate intervention. There is also paucity in studies on the influence of water quality characteristics on fish distribution, abundance and overall fisheries productivity in the lake. Lack of readily accessible information (electronically or otherwise) on the general lake environment has hampered proper management of resources therein.
Beginning this financial year (2006/2007), KMFRI proposes to address theses challenges by undertaking a series of studies. It proposes to undertake expeditionary multidisciplinary research focusing on catch assessment surveys; fish parasites and the evaluation of post harvest technologies; socio-economic issues of the fishery and the compilation, production and dissemination of information (past or present ) on the lake environment, through a series of activities. The expected outcomes will be information for improved and strengthened management of the fishery, increased investments to the fishery, improved social benefits to the communities, improved understanding and awareness of the socio-economic status of the various stakeholders, better resource exploitation policies, timely fishery management interventions and improved livelihoods. Finally, it is expected that brochures, posters on the project activities and reports will be produced by the end of the financial year.