Posted on January, 28 2014

Kenya is losing an estimated 10 billion shillings (118million USD) annually due to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in its territorial waters President Uhuru Kenyatta has said. “Despite Kenyan Coast being home to the largest and richest fishing ground, Kenyan marine (ocean) fisheries contribute a paltry 5 per cent of the 174,000 metric tonnes of fish produced in the country,’’ he said.

The President further noted that according to the Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations, the country has the potential to produce more than 174,000 metric tonnes.

The country's Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei also noted that marine fisheries in Kenya had the potential to generate 1-2 billion USD annually.

Kenya is set to increase its stake in the the US $5 billion dollar a year global tuna fisheries industry after the government approved the country’s first Tuna Fisheries Development and Management Strategy in August 2013.

The strategy, which will run from 2013 to 2018, aims to grow Kenya’s largely underdeveloped tuna supply chain that currently has rudimentary fishing vessels not capable of going beyond 20 nautical miles undertaking tuna fishing. In addition, the country does not have a commercial tuna fishing fleet and lacks even a single vessel capable of exploiting tuna resources prescribed to it by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which grants a state special rights over exploration and use of marine resources. Currently the country grants fishing access to Distant Water Fishing Nations at a fee, which is not commensurate to the real value of the resource.

The plan outlines how Kenya will benefit from its currently under-exploited tuna resources by transitioning from traditional tuna fisheries to modern commercially oriented high sea fisheries. This is expected to increase benefits to the country hence spur economic development.

WWF Country Director in Kenya Mohammed Awer notes that this is a big move for Kenya that would begin the process of positioning the country to reap more benefits from the global tuna industry. He however noted that a lot would need to be done to lay down necessary infrastructure to maximize benefits.

“This is a big move by the Kenyan government to position the country in the active and lucrative global tuna industry. However, a lot still needs to be done. The government and other key stakeholders will need to provide an enabling regulatory and infrastructural environment in order to bring about significant flow of benefits of tuna resources to the country at biologically, ecologically and socio-economically sustainable levels,” said Mr. Awer.

Kenya lies within the richest tuna belt of the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO). A recent comprehensive assessment of the marine fisheries potential in Kenya is unavailable. However, earlier estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the 1980s indicated a potential of 150,000 metric tonnes for both offshore and inshore waters.

Kenya has about 18 fish processing companies with a total processing capacity of over 1200 metric tonnes per day. However, only one factory with an installed processing capacity of 105 metric tonnes per day is dedicated to tuna processing. Kenya therefore, accounts for only 5% of the Western Indian Ocean’s processing capacity with the only tuna company in the country relying on supplies from distant water fishing nations for tuna supply. In 2011, the tuna fisheries accounted for only 3% of marine fish production in Kenya.

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By Philip Mwakio, Nation Reporter and John Kabubu