Cartels Blocking Enactment of New Marine Fisheries Regulations
Hon. Salim Mvurya Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy & Maritime Affairs flanked by Kilifi County Deputy Governor flora Mbetsa (Photo /By Mwakwaya Raymond)
By The COAST Team
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Cartels are colluding with government officials to stop the implementation of marine fisheries regulations set to benefit stakeholders along the coastal seafront.
The cartels opposed to the new regulations had managed to convince the previous government not to enact the same rules dismissing them as inconsequential.
In its investigations, Coast Media Group (CMG) managed to secure a copy of the proposed regulations for the lucrative sector.
According to officials who drafted the regulations allege efforts to have them enacted have been futile due to opposition from interested parties.
“It’s true we drafted the new laws through the blessing of the government but we are surprised as to why the same government is dragging its feet on the implementation segment?” one of the officers posed.
The more they tried to push for the implementation, the more the frustrated officers encountered stiff opposition from those against the same.
Reports indicate that the government sanctioned the drafting of the regulations where sittings with stakeholders were held at a Mombasa hotel before last year’s August elections.
The document at hand contains the new regulations with clear key benefits for coastal fishery communities depending on marine ecosystem apart from creating other livelihoods connected to the sector.
The document stipulates artisanal fishers fund economic empowerment that shall benefit from up to 32% of all levies collected with a 2% retention at Beach Management Unit (BMU) and 30% of all levies paid by direct or indirect fishers.
Article 63 indicates that 20% of all levies to the counties will go to the development of the fishery industry.
Through their BMUs, the artisanal fishers will decide who will be issued with a right to fish within artisanal fishing areas.
The document indicates that all current coastal artisanal fishers will be issued with automatic five years fishing rights that will be renewable after expiry.
Further the draft laws bring to a end of unfair competition from industrial fishers where Industrial and semi industrial fishers will not be allowed within 5 nautical miles from the shores, to protect artisanal fishing grounds.
Communities that traditionally fish for food (subsistence) will be allowed to fish without payment of any levies or licenses once the new regulations come to force.
Industrial fishers will pay 12%, Semi industrial fishers will pay 5% while artisanal fishers will pay 2%. The 2 % artisanal fishers payment will be retained for artisanal fishers fund through their BMUs.
The drafters also proposed Industrial and semi-industrial fishing vessels be required to be based in Kenya, and flagged Kenyan, hence will be required to employ Kenyans as their fishing crew.
Transshipment of fish to other countries for processing is restricted under these regulations. No exporting of Kenyan jobs. All Kenyan fish will be landed in Kenya, and value added here in Kenya. A total of 60,000 new direct jobs are expected to be created in fishing and value addition at the coast.
Kenyan Coast is a world-renowned for hosting some of the best deep sea fishing mighty marlin, sailfish or kingfish.
Draped with idyllic beaches, the 480 km coastline boasts an abundance of little fish and huge fish predators including kingfish, massive tiger sharks and wahoo, which are no less ferocious than the big cats found in the country’s terrestrial wildlife sanctuaries. These pristine waters also house the world’s most elusive member of the billfish – the nocturnal broadbill sword fish, and the gorgeous sail fish.
