Artisanal Fishing Supports Breeding of Malaria Mosquitoes in Western Kenya

Background: Everyday hundreds of people, mainly men, set out to take part in a vibrant artisanal capture fshing (ACF) industry on Lake Victoria. It is not known whether actions of artisanal fshers, in their unrelenting quest for exist ence, surpass ecosystems’ sustainability thresholds with potentially negative repercussions on human health with respect to malaria transmission potential. This article sought to fll this information gap. Methods: This study used an ecosystem approach to fnd out how ACF processes facilitate the breeding of mosqui toes. The observational study adopted a cross-sectional design and was carried out on Mageta Island situated inside Lake Victoria in western Kenya. Results: Of the 87 mosquito larval habitats identifed 27 (31%) were created through ACF activities. The ACF-related habitats, hereafter collectively referred to as ‘fshing habitats’, included fshing boats (24), trenches (1) and fsh bait mines (2). About half (48%) of Anopheles larvae were recovered from fshing habitats. The mean larval density in the fshing habitats (35.7±1.15) was double that in non-fshing habitats (17.4±0.539). Despite being the most common ‘non-fshing habitat’ type (N=32), the mean number of Anopheles larvae present in rock pools (30.81±10.54) was signifcantly less than those found inside fshing boats (N=24; 40.08±10.16). Overall, man-made habitats and those used to support livelihoods contained signifcantly more Anopheles larvae. Conclusions: These data show that artisanal capture fshing is a key driver of malaria epidemiology on Mageta Island. This suggests that larval source management strategies in the global south should pay attention to the heterogeneity in Anopheles breeding habitats created through livelihood activities.