Fisherwomen seek support to acquire deep sea fishing boats

Rukia Pamba Juma, Founder and Chair of Pweza Women Group, with members of the group in Kilifi County. [FILE]

Fisherwomen have petitioned the government for support to help them acquire deep-sea fishing vessels to compete with Chinese ships fishing in Kenyan waters.

Coastal Women in Fisheries Entrepreneurship Chairperson Mercy Mghangam said they compete for a meagre catch near the shores due to lack of capacity to go deep-sea.

She said if fisherwomen are supported to acquire vessels with the capacity of 30 tonnes, they will be able to venture into the deep sea and compete with foreign vessels.

Mghanga said her organisation represents 1,730 women who should be empowered to exploit opportunities in the blue economy and not just as fishmongers.

She said most fisherwomen were also free from the sex-for-fish trade and prostitution after acquiring the entrepreneurial skills and financial freedom.

Mghanga spoke in Mombasa during the launch of the Kilindi Campaign to strengthen community-led marine conservation among fishing communities at the Coast.

"We want the government to give us opportunities to go deep sea. About 95 per cent of fishermen say the boats given to them cannot go to deep sea due to heavy winds.

"The women in Beach Management Units (BMUs) are merely counted as statistics because they do not receive any benefits. They need to be considered and given opportunities to do value addition," said Mghanga.

Kilindini Campaign spokesperson Tendai Mtana said illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF) was one of the biggest challenges facing them.

Mtana said the Kilindini Campaign promotes locally owned blue enterprises and elevates traditional ecological knowledge and intangible heritage while driving equity-based regional policy engagement.

The initiative brought together Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Mauritius with an aim of creating a multi-stakeholder platform to unify action and drive shared ocean prosperity.

He said East Africa and the SWIO region want the fishing communities to build empires through the blue economy beyond just fishing.

“We are here today not just to commemorate World Oceans Day but to chart a new course. This is defined by shared values, inclusive economics, and a deep respect for our ocean heritage,” said Mtana.

He said the campaign is the birth of a regional movement for blue marine transformation.

Mtana said the Kilindini campaign seeks to build an accountable, inclusive, and regenerative blue marine economy driven by community leadership, indigenous knowledge, policy innovation, and sustainable investment.

Mtana called for a United Regional Action for a Sustainable Blue Marine Economy and emphasised the importance of unity and ownership in safeguarding marine ecosystems.

“Our campaign is rooted in the principle that ‘Bahari Yetu ni Urithi’ (Our Ocean is Heritage). This is a moment to come together and define what that heritage will look like for future generations,” said Mtana.

The Kilindini campaign brought together regional stakeholders from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector to spotlight the critical role of marine ecosystems in the region’s future.

“We are building adaptive leadership in an adaptive climate, one that supports the livelihoods of our ocean’s stewards and places local voices at the heart of ocean governance," said Mtana.

He said the Kilindini Campaign is currently launching stakeholder working groups, developing white papers on blue marine investment and governance, and executing grassroots engagement plans across the region.

Mtana said the campaign aims to consolidate commitments and present a unified regional voice by June 24, 2025.

“Today, we shape a different path, one led by the people who live, fish, protect, and depend on these waters every day,” said Mtana.