Livelihoods and income diversification among Artisanal fishers on the Kenyan coast

Artisanal fishers are generally regarded as a poor, if not destitute, group. This chapter focuses on income diversification among fishers on the Kenyan coast and investigates the benefits of diversification as a livelihood strategy. Fisher households engaged in more economic activities than their non-fisher neighbours and the incidence of poverty among the fishers was no higher than among the general rural population in the region. Two types of income diversification with differing effects were identified - 'earner' and 'activity' diversification respectively. The policy implications of creating alternative employment opportunities for fisher communities are also discussed.