KMFRI undertakes a multidisciplinary Programme approach in research that is based on six research Programmes namely, Fisheries, Aquaculture research and development, environment and ecology, natural products and post harvest technology, socio-economics and information and data management. Two of these Programmes namely fisheries and aquaculture are core Programmes of the institute. Due to the government’s drive to promote fish farming under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) as an economic enterprise in the country. This Annual report for the various programmes’ activities covers the 2010/11 FY i.e. from July 2010 – June 2011.

Environmental management system manual for Kenya Forestry research Institute

ANNUAL REPORT AND RECORD OF RESEARCH, JULY 2006 – JUNE 2007

“Strengthening the capacity of ITTO producer countries in Africa in generating and disseminating scientific information on Reducing Deforestation and Forest Degradation and Enhancing Environmental Services from Forests”

(ITTO Project Number RED-PA 056/11 Rev.1 (F))

With support from the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), IUFRO-SPDC and FORNESSA have embarked on a new project addressing the challenges of deforestation and forest rehabilitation in Africa. Within the frame of ITTO’s Thematic Programme on “Reducing Deforestation and Forest Degradation and Enhancing Environmental Services in Tropical Forests (REDDES)”, the project aims at generating scientific information on specific pilot areas in Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria, and disseminating this information to policy makers and forest practitioners at the national and regional level through science-policy interactions in close cooperation with the African Forest Forum (AFF).

To this end, national expert groups composed of scientists with various specialisations are in the process of conducting comprehensive scientific assessments in the pilot areas covering the whole range of aspects related to the natural resource base, socio-economic situation and institutional environment impacting on the extent and distribution of forest and tree resources in these areas. Based on these independent assessments and analyses of available scientific information, specific strategies and actions will be formulated for each pilot area on how best to integrate measures to reduce deforestation and forest degradation into current land use practices and economic activities.

National partners in the assessment are the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), Cameroon; the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), Ghana, the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Liberia; and the Forestry Research Institute, Nigeria (FRIN), Nigeria.

Overall, the project will generate the scientific information needed for policy and management to address deforestation and improve forest dependent livelihoods through sustainable natural resource utilisation and restoration of tropical forests. In addition, the project will further foster cooperation through expanded networking among the forest science community, forest managers and policy makers in the region.

Inception Workshop

A first meeting on this project took place at the Excelsa Lodge Conference Centre in Kumasi, Ghana from 25 to 27 March 2012, bringing together representatives of the four participating institutions from Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria, respectively. The meeting was chaired by Dr. E. Foli (FORIG, Ghana), the expert Group Leader for Ghana and Regional Coordinator of the project. Expert leaders from the partner countries attending the meeting included Mr. Bernard Cheteu (IRAD, Cameroon), Mr. Blamah S. Goll (FDA, Liberia); and Dr. Olajide R Adejoba (FRIN, Nigeria).

In his opening remarks, Dr. Victor Kwame Agyeman, Director, FORIG and Chairman of FORNESSA), emphasised the importance of regional collaboration and expressed the  hope that the  project will enhance research networking under the umbrella of FORNESSA. The meeting substantially benefited from the presence of Dr. Joseph Cobbinah, Coordinator of FORNESSA and Chairman of the Congress Scientific Committee (IUFRO-FORNESSA Regional Congress) who guided the discussions on best approaches for the assessment in the pilot areas. On the first day of the meeting participants went on a field trip to the Offinso District, located near Kumasi, serving as the REDDES pilot site in Ghana.

Major discussions during the meeting and results obtained are summarised as follows:

• Profile of pilot areas: the team agreed on developing a uniform format for the description of the pilot areas, in order to allow direct comparison between the sites. To this end, a special questionnaire will be developed for use in all pilot areas.
• Selection of pilot sites: all four pilot sites will be located in the tropical high forest zone and show various degrees of disturbances through decades of human interventions. It was also emphasised that the focus of REDDES assessment goes beyond climate change addressing all factors driving deforestation and forest degradation. For reasons of efficient assessment and stakeholder consultations the pilot areas should be easily accessible by the team of scientists and selected sites must have characteristics linked to the country definition of forest
• Stakeholder consultations: All relevant stakeholders in the pilot areas are to be identified and made aware of the importance of reducing deforestation and forest degradation. Besides stakeholder meetings, the project will also develop easy-to-understand flyers and information leaflets about REDDES.
• Strategies for reducing deforestation and forest degradation:  Discussions about possible strategies to address REDDES  focussed - amongst others on the need to (a) build on land management practices already in place; (b) ensure that results from pilot sites can be mainstreamed into national  REDD+ strategies  (c) that local level strategies that are effective in addressing deforestation and forest degradation must be strengthened and reinforced, d) that activities that t require external inputs  and support must be distinguished from those that  can be implemented by local authorities and stakeholders e) predominant and site specific key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation should be identified.
• Finally, a framework for meetings, country and project reporting was discussed and agreed upon.
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The First International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)-Forestry Research Network of Sub-Saharan Africa (FORNESSA) Regional Congress took place from 25–29 June 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya. Organized by IUFRO and FORNESSA, with support from a number of donor organizations and institutions, the Congress was held on the theme, “Forests and Trees: Serving the People of Africa and the World.” It was jointly hosted by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI).  The Congress was held in conjunction with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)/African Forest Forum
(AFF) Forest Policy Day, which took place on 28 June 2012, on the theme, “The Policy/Science Interface for Sustainable Forest Management in Africa.”

The Congress focused on issues relating to the conservation, sustainable management, and use of forest and tree resources in the African region, with the overall aim of showing how
forest science impacts livelihoods, environmental management and development in Africa. It provided an opportunity for forest scientists, forest managers and policymakers from Africa
and around the world to share and exchange information and experiences on some of the critical issues affecting forest and wildlife resources in Africa.