Shem Oirere

Shem Oirere

Contributing Editor

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 5, 2021

Ghana’s Fisheries Commission has issued notice to companies engaged in the country’s trawl fishing sub-sector – including operators of industrial vessels – to reapply for fishing licenses to continue fishing operations as the West African government attempts to address the challenges of dwindling stocks, illegal unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and uncontrolled access.

Ghana Fisheries Commission Executive

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Published on
June 29, 2021

Samherji has laid bare some of the findings of an internal investigation into previous questionable dealings of its Namibian operations.

Samherji was alleged to have paid bribes to Namibian politicians and businessmen to gain unfair advantage and access to Namibian horse mackerel quotas.

Namibia is currently pursuing a cash-for-quota corruption case, popularly known as the “Fishrot” scandal, based on allegations made

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Published on
June 28, 2021

The availability of a clean and cold seawater resource in South Africa’s coastline has attracted a major salmon farming investment from South African and Danish firm Cape Nordic Corporation (CNC), which plans to build a recirculating aquaculture system to produce salt-water finfish species …

Photo courtesy of Cape Nordic

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Published on
June 25, 2021

South Africa’s Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries (DEFF) has announced the rejection of all three applications submitted by Karpowership SA (Pty) Ltd for an environmental authorization for the development of gas to power via powerships at the ports of Richards Bay, Ngqura and Saldanha …

Photo courtesy of South Africa's Department of Environment, Forestry, and

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Published on
June 24, 2021

Kenya has announced KES 10.7 billion (USD 98 million, EUR 83 million) in new financing to revamp the country’s fish production levels and improve seafood exports over the next year.

Treasury Cabinet Secretry Ukur Yatani has indicated in his 2021-2022 budget statement projects targeted in the new funding allocation include the Aquaculture Business Development and the Kenya Fisheries and Socio-Economic Development projects, which are being

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Published on
June 24, 2021

Uganda, one of the leading global sources of fish maw – or swim bladder – has announced a new 7 percent export levy on the product as the country closes in on finalizing an export trade deal with China.

Uganda State Minister for Planning Amos Lugoloobi said the government has introduced the levy based on the value of swim bladder exports, as part of tax policy interventions to raise revenue for financing the UGX 44.7 trillion (USD

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Published on
June 23, 2021

South Africa-based Environmental Assessment Practitioner Triplo4 Sustainable Solutions has finally confirmed the suspension of an application for environmental authorization for an offshore gas-to-power powership project in the country’s Western Cape region, as concerns emerge regarding likely adverse impacts on small-scale fishing activities and marine life in general.

Triplo4 Managing Director Hantie Plomp said the decision by the

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Published on
June 17, 2021

Spanish tuna operators have become the latest to sign the “Declaration of Gulf of Guinea on Suppression of Piracy” initiative that, among other things, is pushing for the deployment of a non-regional naval force to tackle rampant piracy along the 6,000-kilometer coastline extending from Senegal to Angola.

The Spanish tuna fleet, represented by the Organization of Associated Producers of Large Tuna Freezers (OPAGAC), joins more than

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Published on
June 16, 2021

The United States has announced an entrance ban on two former Namibian cabinet ministers implicated in the Fishrot corruption scandal.

The so-called "Fishrot" scandal, in which more than USD 650 million (EUR 536 million) was flagged as suspicious proceeds, involved Namibia’s state-owned National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) and Icelandic fish processing firm Samherji. Samherji was alleged to have paid bribes to Namibian

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Published on
June 9, 2021

South Africa-based startup Sea-Stematic Pty Ltd – a company working on cell-based seafood production – says it is eyeing a share of the Chinese cell-based meat market through strategic partnerships with Chinese seafood manufacturers

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