FISH PRODUCTION PROJECTION KENYA

Fish Production projection Kenya – Kenya’s fish production in 2018 is projected to hit 160,000 metric tons, the same as last year, according to an article published in News Ghana.

Beth Wagude, CEO of Kenya Fish Processors and Exporters Association told Xinhua in Nairobi that production will remain the same as last year due to lack of new investments in financing and expertise in the fisheries sectors.

“The bulk of the production will be from inland waters such as Lake Victoria,” Wagude said during the Blue Economy Conference underway in Nairobi.

The event that runs until Wednesday was convened by Kenya and co-hosted by Canada and Japan and has attracted over 11,000 delegates from 180 countries including heads of states and government.

Wagude added that due to low production, the country is a net importer of fish.

She noted that cage farming where cages are put in lakes and dams is now the fastest growing sector of the fishing industry.

The CEO said that the marine fisheries sector remains largely untapped as the country produced 8,000 metric tons against a potential of 350,000 metric tons.

Wagude said that the intergovernmental body Indian Ocean Tuna Commission has allowed Kenya to have 72 fishing vessels along its Indian Ocean Coast line.

“However, Kenya currently only has three vessels at the Indian Oceans due to high cost of trawlers,” she said.

Wagude revealed that the government has licensed a number of foreign vessels to fish on its exclusive economic zone that extends 200 nautical miles from the shoreline.

In order to expand the fishing processing industry Wagude said that Kenya has put in place a law to require that 30 percent of all fish captured in the oceans are processed locally but the law is yet to be fully operationalized.

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