Safeguarding Tafi: Sustainable Fishing and Cultural Preservation

Rabbitfish, also known as "tafi," is a key species processed and distributed by Kumbatia Seafood during our low season. This local delicacy, named for its rabbit-like features such as large eyes, nostrils, and tooth plates, holds significant culinary importance in Swahili and Bajuni cuisine as well as in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Abundant in the coastal waters of Kenya, tafi fishing experiences its peak season from July to September when the south-easterly Kusi wind blows. Fishermen employ communal methods using nylon or sisal seine nets to capture the migrating fish. While some beach seines used for tafi fishing are illegal and detrimental to the environment, others are regulated and authorized. These artisanal practices, whether legal or illegal, have been passed down through generations and serve as a rare source of income for coastal communities during the fishery’s low season.

The tafi pictured in this post was harvested using legal gear by our network of fishers operating out of Kiwayu, Kenya. Like all our fish, it is traceable and handled according to the sushi-grade techniques we've trained our partner communities on.

While some within our network of fishers were already using legal gear, others in the village were not. Kumbatia economically incentivized those fishing illegally to transition to sustainable gear use by providing interest-free loans for the purchase of the new, legal nets and by also ensuring access to an improved market from both a pricing and volume offtake standpoint. This is one method of market-based conservation that Kumbatia Seafood employs, enabling fishers to improve their sustainability with the promise of a higher income.

Tafi contributes significantly to the cultural heritage and economic growth of coastal Kenyan communities, and we are so proud to be able to offer it to our customers across the planet.