Kenya loses Sh10 billion from illegal fishing

Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett photo:courtesy

Kenya is losing an estimated Sh10 billion annually due to increased illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities in the Indian Ocean.

 Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said that fish stocks are not restricted to national boundaries and unchecked IUU fishing is undermining food security and livelihoods in the country.

He said the Government is pooling resources to combat illegal fishing by establishing monitoring centers along the coastline besides intensifying sea surveillance.

The CS spoke at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute in Mombasa while officially opening the new Marine and Ocean Services Centre built at a cost of Sh280 million.