Report of The Third national Tuna Dialogue

THE THIRD NATIONAL TUNA DIALOGUE HELD ON THE
30THAND 31STOF JULY 2014 AT THE WHITE SANDS HOTEL,
MOMBASA.
Group photo of participants on the 3rd Tuna dialogue conference at the white Sands Hotel Mombasa
Principal Secretary State Department of Fisheries Professor
Micheni Japhet Ntiba has underlined that tuna fisheries are
important tradable fishery commodity with the Western Indian
Ocean region accounting for 70 to 80% of the Indian Ocean catch
of tuna, representing 20% of the global tuna production (the
second largest in the world after the West Pacific ocean).
He said Kenya is therefore located strategically in the rich tuna
belt of the Western Indian Ocean region adding that Earlier
estimates indicate that the tuna fishery has the potential of
150,000 Mt in the Kenyan EEZ.
He however said these are migratory and trans-boundary stocks
occurring widely in our region and the key challenge is, how
attract the greatest value and benefits from these resources. In a
speech read on his behalf by Dr Harrison Charo the Acting
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Director Fisheries Resources Development and Marketing the
Professor Micheni said presently there is only one tuna
processing plant in Mombasa with the capacity of 105 Mt per
day, the only one on the West Indian Ocean Coast with the rest of
the processing capacity located in island nations in the Indian
Ocean.
The PS said fishing capacity of our local fleet that target tuna
species are largely artisanal and constrained to operate day-trip
fishing in our territorial waters
Dr. Harrison Chero (R) acting Director Fisheries Resources Development and Marketing Presents Tana
River County Director of Fisheries Mr. James mwangi (L) with the Tuna Fisheries Management
Strategy.
To address challenges the PS said the ministry of
Agriculture,Livestock and Fisheries has developed a National
Tuna Fisheries Developmentand Management strategy, which
provides a roadmap for the sustainable development of the
Kenya's tuna fisheries resources occurring in the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) and ensuring an efficient tuna fisheries
value chain.
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The PS said overall goal of the strategy is to help transit
Kenya’stuna fisheries from artisanal-based fisheries to modern
commercially oriented coastal and oceanic fisheries and
accelerate economic growth of the tuna fisheries with direct
positive impacts to employment, wealth creation, improved
incomes and foreign exchange earnings.
The PS called for strong partnerships between all stakeholders in
the tuna industry to ensure increased benefits accruing from
tuna fisheries resources pointing out that the 3rd tuna dialogue
meeting therefore provides such an opportunity to interact and
develop strategic areas of interventions to improve our fisheries
and review progress made so far in the sustainable management
and development of tuna fisheries and also keeps abreast with
relevant emerging regional issues on tuna fisheries and propose
key decisions for future engagement with stakeholders.
The event was co sponsored by the world wildlife fund who were
represented by the country director Mr. Mohammed Awer. The
Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and fisheries Mombasa County
Mr. Anthony Njaramba also participated and addressed the the
two day dialogue that came up with draft priority issues and
recommendations on the Tuna Strategy. The dialgue participants
included universities, reseachers, Tuna fishermen and members f
Beach Management Unit and Representatives from the State
Department of Fisheries and World Wildlife Fund.
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World Wildlife FundCountry Director Mr. Mohammed Awer (R) with Dr. Harrison Chero acting Director
Fisheries Resources Development and Marketing during the event.
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