The fisheries management regime in Kenya

Abstract

The Kenyan coastline is approximately 600 Km long, consisting of 12 nautical miles of territorial waters and an Exclusive Economic lone (EEl) extending to 200 nm, with a total area of 230,000 Km2. The marine waters support a wide variety of fish species, which include both pelagic and demersal fin fishes, as well as crustaceans (lobsters, prawns, crabs) and molluscs (octopus and squids). Kenya has a declared Exclusive Economic lone (EEl) of 200 nautical miles with a projected extension of 150 nautical miles of the continental shelf. Kenya's marine fish production potential is estimated at 150,000 metric tonnes per year. Limited artisanal activity, some prawn trawling, few Kenya flagged tuna fishing vessels and licensed foreign fishing vessels belonging to Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs) characterize the marine fishery. The country's EEZ is located within the rich Iuno belt in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO) although the current domestic production is only about 10.000metric tonnes or approximately 4% of the country's total annual fish landings (FiD Annual Statistical Bulletin. 2017). Currently processing occurs and there is a lack of comprehensive data on the total catch from Kenya's EEZ. The main fishery products in the marine waters consist ci demersal species such as Snappers. Tuna and Tuna-like species. Crustaceans such as Shrimps and Lobsters and Cephalopods including Octopus and Squids.