Protecting sea turtles should one of Kenya's key priorities

KWS warden and fishermen carrying two-day-old turtles at Nyali beach, Mombasa county. [Marion Kithi, Standard]

As stewards of the Western Indian Ocean, Kenya stands at the cusp of a very promising marine and coastal-based economy that forms the backbone of a prosperous blue economy and a frontier in the country's development agenda. This is well evidenced by the fact that the blue economy contributes 2.5 per cent to Kenya's GDP with a projected annual contribution of Ksh.178.8 billion.

However, there are significant threats to this promise and impediments holding Kenya back from fully tapping into the potential towards a sustainable ocean economy. In the modern context, the marine ecosystem is beset by human-induced environmental degradation and resource depletion, hampering growth of an otherwise flourishing sector.