LaPromotif

AFRICA IN FOCUS The marine and coastal areas along the eastern shores of Africa contain rich, biodiverse, and under-threat flora and fauna unique for their biodiversity. The region hosts pristine coral reefs, carbon-rich mangrove forests, and sheltered seagrass beds, which support an abundance of marine life including important fish species, sharks and rays, turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals. Moreover, all along the coasts of the West Indian Ocean (WIO) region, coastal communities derive their socioeconomic livelihoods from the sea and its products. Artisanal and commercial fishing is critical for food security and the economy of the over 70 million people living along the coast, as the region’s fishing contributes to  4.8 percent of the global fish catch, equivalent to about 4.5 million tons of fish per year . Marine assets in the WIO are valued conservatively at  $333 billion and provide at least $21 billion every year  to the regional economy from marine and coast...

In the last 12 years, Kenya has made major strides in the development of the maritime sector billed as a sleeping giant capable of creating millions of jobs and spur economic growth. According to the Principal Secretary for Shipping, Nancy Karigithu, Kenya has also ratified key maritime conventions to improve the safety and welfare of seafarers. But analysis of recent scholarly articles and data shows that the country is yet to reap from resources in its ocean area of 245,000 square kilometres - 42 per cent of its total land area. Experts agree that measures taken to develop the nascent  blue economy  have not borne desired results because of years of policy neglect. In 2018, the then Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri revealed that the country was losing over Sh440 billion annually by failing to fully exploit the sector. And the State estimates Kenya losses Sh10 billion to illegal fishing along the Indian Ocean every year. The government established Kenya Coast Gua...