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The Kenya Forest Service has recognised efforts by the community in Lamu in ensuring the mangrove cover is maintained as they use them for commercial and subsistence purposes.
This comes three years after a ban on mangrove logging was lifted by the government
The ban had been imposed in February 2018 as a mitigation measure against the prolonged drought and water shortage in the country.
The ban was lifted in February 2019 but with conditions that loggers were to operate under to ensure the sustainability of the mangroves.
Lamu’s decade-old culture and heritage have played an immense role in the conservation of the mangrove forest cover.
About 61 per cent of Kenya’s entire mangrove forest cover lies in Lamu.
In Lamu, mangroves are directly tied to the culture and heritage of the region with all structures, boats and other amenities being put up using mangroves.
However, the trees have over the years been exploited, resulting in over-harvesting without replanting, a factor that has affected the forest cover in Lamu and across the country.
Mangroves have for long been at the verge of extinction especially at the coastal strip due to the continued cutting of the mangrove for firewood, construction, pulp production, charcoal burning and animal fodder.
Apart from harvesting, Lamu has been losing millions of mangroves which are felled to pave way for the establishment of mega national projects such as the Lamu Port (Lapsset) at Kililana.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Forests deputy chief conservator and Charity Munyasia said Lamu residents had adhered to all directives by the ministry once the logging ban was lifted, ensuring an increased mangrove cover.
She said the culture and traditions of the Lamu people have largely enabled them to embrace sustainable harvesting of mangroves.
Among other conditions, the loggers are to plant more mangroves whenever they harvest the mature ones so as to ensure the forest cover remains unaffected.
They are to obtain permits of operation from the KFS office in Lamu and must prove they possess adequate experience in mangrove harvesting.
They are required to prove they have a clear market for the logs once harvested.
“The community has replanted the harvested mangroves on a large scale and have increased the cover by ensuring places that didn’t have mangroves now have them and we are glad the forest cover here has increased,” Munyasia said.
She urged coastal counties to emulate Lamu and ensure the preservation of the mangrove trees for a better future.
“The people of Lamu have achieved 100 per cent mangrove recovery in just three years since the logging ban was lifted. If the rest of the coastal counties would do this, we would fight every challenge brought on by climate change and live better,” she said.
Lamu gets more than Sh10 million monthly returns from mangrove sales with over 30,000 families’ livelihoods directly dependent on mangrove logging, which translates to more than half of the region’s entire population.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
