By Hope Barbra
Failure to mainstream the fishing sector into an agency to manage the industry for the last six decades has denied the country revenue running into billions of shillings.
While other sectors of the economy such as cereal farming have been mainstreamed through the National Cereal and Produce Board, the Tea sector mainstreamed through the Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA), the milk sector through the Dairy Board, and the fishing industry has been marginalized. Thus the potential has never been realized.
Similarly, the Kenya Fish Management and Development Act of 2016 mandated the creation of an agency to manage the fishing sector in the country.
The Act directed that the parliament shall appropriate a general fund for fish marketing authority and this is yet to be undertaken.
But eight years down the lane the fishing sector is yet to be institutionalized to be autonomous but currently still relies on the state department of blue economy for budget to operate.
The Act provides for a wide range of matters concerning the fisheries sector including fisheries management and conservation, aquaculture, and fish processing and marketing.
It establishes the Kenya Fisheries Advisory Council (“Council”), The Kenya Fisheries Service (“Service”), The Fish Marketing Authority (“Authority”), the Fisheries Research and Development Fund, and the Fish Levy Trust Fund.
The Act also implements obligations concerning fisheries under international law.
The objective of this Act is to protect, manage, use, and develop the aquatic resources in a manner that is consistent with ecologically sustainable development, to uplift the living standards of the fishing communities to introduce fishing to traditionally non-fishing communities, and to enhance food security.
Guiding principles of the Act include, among other things, conservation and protection of fisheries habitats, ensuring the effective application of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management and that biodiversity and genetic diversity in the marine environment is maintained and enhanced, encouraging the participation of users of the fisheries resources, and the general community, in the management of fisheries, application of the precautionary approach to the management and development of the fisheries at no less standard than is set out in any international agreement.
According to the chairman Mr. Martin Ogindo, Kenya has untapped fish potential that is capable of driving the local economy.
Ogindo said currently, the country’s fish production stands at 160,000 metric tons from the lakes, ocean, and aquaculture.
“Kenya has various fishing points with Lake Victoria accounting for 100,000 metric tons while Lake Turkana accounts for 12,000 metric tons and Indian Ocean contributing 20,000 metric tons. Aquaculture accounts for 20,000 metric tons while Lake Baringo, River Tana, and Lake Naivasha account for 5,000 metric tons combined, he said.
The fish production earns the country a revenue of Sh 30 billion, a figure far below the potential in the fishing industry.
Ogindo said Lake Victoria alone if fully managed can produce 300,000 metric tons of fish and the same is true for Lake Turkana which produces highly prized mango tilapia and Nile Perch.
“Deep fishing in the Indian Ocean can produce 450,000 metric tons of fish while aquaculture can produce over 100,000 metric tons of fish,” he said.
Currently, 70,000 fishermen are directly employed in the various water bodies while another 70,000 are employed in aquaculture and another 500,000 are in the value chain modes.
‘We have over 2 million people who draw their livelihood from the fishing sector and when the industry is exploited to its full potential, more people will be employed,” he said.
Ogindo said the challenges in the fishing industry are the unregulated and managed fishing in the industry and the lack of support from the government to exploit the emerging opportunities.
He challenged the five counties along Lake Victoria mainly Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Busia, and Migori, and the national government to develop a roadmap and structure on how to manage the shared potential.
Ogindo said the sector when fully operationalized can earn the country Sh 180 billion annually and President William Ruto has directed the board that within the next three years the sector must give Sh 100 B to the economy annually.
Ogindo said the board once operationalized will transform the fishing sector and create employment and earn the country additional revenue.
Currently, the authority is not functional as it has no staff and chief executive officer and also office to undertake its operation.
