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.

Published on
July 3, 2020

Somalia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has asked Iran to disclose more information on its fishing fleet’s activities in the Northwest Indian Ocean region after several of them were spotted in exclusive economic zones of Somalia and Yemen.

Somalia Fisheries Minister Abdilahi Warsame said there is increasing concern of illegal fishing in Somalia’s EEZ by foreign fishing vessels, the majority of which are from the

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Published on
July 1, 2020

The South Africa Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA) has picked Sea Harvest Chief Executive Officer Felix Ratheb as its new chairman ...

Photo courtesy of Sea Harvest/Felix

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Published on
June 30, 2020
The Sultanate of Oman has announced plans to merge three state-owned companies into one as the country seeks to attract additional investment to the sector. Oman’s Investment Authority (OIA) said the new company, Fisheries Development Oman, will be formed from the merger of three entities: Blue Water, Al Wusta Fishery Industries, and Oceanic Shrimp Aquaculture. In the announcement, first reported by Muscat Daily, the OIA said the move was… Read More
Published on
June 22, 2020

The Namibian government has withdrawn the appointment of Paulus Ngalangi as the acting chief executive officer of the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (FISHCOR) in a move that is likely to delay a planned restructuring of the operations of the state-owned fishing firm.

Public Enterprises minister Leon Jooste said Ngalangi, who is also been the company’s general finance manager, is alleged to have transported a South African

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Published on
June 17, 2020

Uganda and Tanzania have each reported increased fish production in the last three years, supported by improved enforcement of targeted fisheries and aquaculture regulations, tougher measures to curb illegal fishing, and the country’s efforts to address challenges caused by poor quality fish seed and aqua feeds.

Uganda and Tanzania share a border along Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and the third largest by area in the world and

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Published on
June 15, 2020

As Ghana continues with the gradual reopening of its economy after a national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s aquaculture sector is hopoing for a quick resumption of normal operations. Jacob Adzikah, the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Aquaculture, told SeafoodSource the sector needs the recovery of local markets and the hospitality industry, which consumes up to 90 percent of all the harvested farmed

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Published on
June 12, 2020

Namibia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is proposing an overhaul of the current fishing rights awarding system to ensure transparency and accountability, as the country’s seafood industry seeks to shed off a lingering image of corruption and opacity in allocation of the fish harvesting quotas.

Fisheries Minister Albert Kawana, who was recently confirmed to his position, replacing his predecessor Benhard Esau, said

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Published on
June 11, 2020

Cape Town, South Africa-based Oceana Group is treading carefully as the cloud of COVID-19 continues to hang over the global fishing industry ... 

Photo courtesy of Oceana

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Published on
June 8, 2020

South Africa has announced measures towards substantially freeing the entire fisheries sector from stringent restrictions under the COVID-19 national lockdown as the country confirmed 32,683 cases with 683 deaths by 31 May.

A statement by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) said “all fishing, including recreational fishing, is permitted with the exception of charter fishing.”

The easing of restrictions comes

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Published on
May 29, 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused seafood prices in Africa to jump, both due to increased supply chain complications and due to inflation. Weakening local currencies have resulted in importers paying higher prices for foreign seafood.

While a negative in the short-term, that increase in price could eventually benefit local aquaculture operations in several countries, according to Skretting Managing Director for Asia and Africa Rob Kiers.

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