Shem Oirere is a Kenyan journalist who previously worked for daily newspapers as a general news correspondent, business reporter and sub-editor before turning to full-time freelancing. For the more than 20 years, he has covered various sectors of Africa’s economy including agriculture, food processing, and maritime industries. A graduate of the University of South Africa, he has traveled within and outside Africa covering various industry events that have a bearing on the continent’s economy on behalf of different international consumer and trade publications. He currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya.
Author Archive
Published on
July 30, 2026
Low catch totals of small pelagic species off the coast of South Africa have forced fishmeal and fish oil manufacturers to fall back on contingency plans to meet both domestic and global demand.
Cape Town, South Africa-based fishing and processing firm Oceana Group is one such company adapting to low levels of supply, explaining to SeafoodSource that “anchovy populations are environmentally driven, highly responsive to oceanographic conditions… Read More
Published on
July 29, 2026
As part of a cabinet reshuffling, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed David Maynier as the country’s new minister of forestry, fisheries, and the environment, replacing Willie Aucamp in the role.
The appointment came after requests from the Democratic Alliance party, of which Maynier is a member.
“Minister Maynier assumes leadership of the portfolio at a pivotal time for South Africa's environmental agenda, as the country… Read More
Published on
July 27, 2026
Kenya has put KES 3.8 billion (USD 29.1 million, EUR 25.5 million) toward marine and inland fisheries landing sites and associated facilities as part of KES 8.2 billion (USD 62.8 million, EUR 55.1 million) in funding the Kenyan National Treasury has allocated for the nation’s blue economy and fisheries subsector for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Around KES 1.1 billion (USD 8.4 million, EUR 7.4 million) of the investment is earmarked for five… Read More
Published on
July 24, 2026
Lengthy and complex licensing procedures that Moroccan aquaculture stakeholders are forced to navigate have blocked the sector from achieving its full potential, according to a report from the World Bank.
The organization’s latest private sector diagnostic report for the North African nation estimates that at its full potential, Morocco’s aquaculture industry could attract up to USD 1.96 billion (EUR 1.72 billion) in private investment and… Read More
Published on
July 23, 2026
Namibia Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani has officially sought approval for higher penalty fees for violators of the country's bycatch regulations.
The announcement comes nearly a year after the Southwest African country first approved stricter bycatch rules, which included a reduction in the maximum bycatch threshold from 5 percent to 2 percent across its fisheries and an increase in the penalty for… Read More
Published on
July 20, 2026
South Africa has indefinitely extended a ban on harvesting, collecting, and consuming wild shellfish from Saldanha Bay and surrounding coastal areas to safeguard public health against high concentrations of paralytic shellfish toxins (PST).
Shellfish aquaculture operations in the area have paused operations over the same concern.
South Africa Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) Director of Communication and Advocacy… Read More
Published on
July 20, 2026
Five Libyan government officials have been arrested for their alleged role in deliberately mismanaging the nation’s tuna quota allocation system.
The allegations come as the Libyan government has intensified its probe into corruption in the management of the country's bluefin tuna quota allocations between 2018 and 2025.
A statement from the Libyan Attorney General’s (AG) Office alleges that the North African nation’s undersecretary and… Read More
Published on
June 26, 2026
Nairobi, Kenya-based financial services firm Equity Group Holdings has signed an agreement with global consulting firm MicroSave Consulting (MSC), aiming to enhance financial inclusion and gender equity in East Africa's fisheries sector.
The agreement specifically focuses on increasing the availability of technology and improving the data-backed decision-making capabilities of small- and medium-sized aquaculture operations across multiple… Read More
Published on
June 19, 2026
Saudi Fisheries Company (SFC) has been awarded over SAR 1.6 million (USD 431,000, EUR 370,000) in a case against Oman-based Ocean Fish Company (OFC) concerning the breach of a commercial fish supply contract.
In the contract, OFC, upon payment of advance cash, could purchase SFC-produced fish products, sell them, calculate the profit margin, and then transfer that sum to SFC.
According to SFC, Ocean Fish “failed to fulfill the agreed-upon… Read More
Published on
June 17, 2026
Fifteen governments signed the Mombasa Declaration at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, committing to implement measures that promote transparency in the sector and step up the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Government representatives from countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific attending the conference committed their countries to pursue transparency reforms such as… Read More
