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
October 7, 2022

Oman has announced a new round of requests for bids for the development of aquaculture projects across the country, in line with its long-term plans to its develop aquaculture sector.

Oman's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth, with the support of the World Bank and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, is continuing to devleop aquaculture projects in support of Oman’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Vision 2040

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Published on
October 5, 2022

Cape Town, South Africa-based Oceana Group has announced the sale of its subsidiary Commercial Cold Storage Group Limited – traded as CCS Logistics.

The sale of its cold-storage business entity for ZAR 760 million (USD 42.8 million, EUR 43.2 million) will finance investment an expansion of its core business of fishing.

The business was purchased by African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM)  ... 

Photo

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Published on
September 29, 2022

Cape Town, South Africa-based Oceana Group has released a trading update for the 11 months ending 27 August, 2022, indicating a 16.2 percent increase in the company’s canned pilchard/sardine fish sales volumes, as demand surges and supply networks continue to normalize following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company has seen its year-to-date sales of pilchard increase to 8 million cartons, up from 7.9 million in 2021, which the

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Published on
September 23, 2022

South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has closed areas around major penguin colonies along the country’s coast to commercial anchovy and sardine fishing.

Areas affected include those around Dassen Island, Robben Island, Stony Point, Dyer Island, St. Croix Island, and Bird Island. Purse-seine fishing has been forbidden in False Bay, which hosts the resident Boulders Beach penguin population.

“These

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Published on
September 23, 2022

The number of sea cucumbers in Seychelles’ waters droppped 30 percent between 2004 and 2021 according to the findings of a new survey organized by the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA).

The survey, which was conducted by a team headed by Australian consultant Tim Skewes, working in conjunction with a group of local sea cucumber divers, had the objective of assessing and generating data on Seychelles’ cucumber resource –

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Published on
September 20, 2022

The European Union and Mauritius signed a new protocol in early September 2022 extending their 2014 Fisheries Partnership Agreement, opening up fishing opportunities for fishing vessels from France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy through 2026.

“The new protocol will enable them [E.U. and Mauritius] to work more closely on promoting a sustainable fisheries policy, in line with the objective of conserving marine biological resources

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Published on
September 16, 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has increased support for the aquaculture sector in Gabon. It plans to focus on increasing the number of youth involved in fish farming across the Atlantic coast of central African country.

The FAO will be working in collaboration with the Gabonese government to offer workshops on aquaculture investments, decision-making, and business planning ... 

Photo courtesy of Gabon

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Published on
September 13, 2022

Cape Town, South Africa-based fishing company and frozen-food manufacturer Irvin and Johnson (I&J), an affiliate of AVI Group, has announced a 5.1 percent drop in overall revenue from its global operations to ZAR 2.47 billion (USD 142.5 million, EUR 141.8 million) for the year ending 30 June, 2022.

The drop comes on the back of lower fishing profits triggered by a strong South African rand affecting export sales, and lower sales

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Published on
September 9, 2022

Cape Town, South Africa-based Sea Harvest Group Limited head of marketing Jared Patel was recently named the Mondelēz 2022 Rising Star of the Year Award at the 2022 Marketing Achievement Awards. In an interview with SeafoodSource, Patel reviewed the emerging seafood marketing trends for products in South Africa.

SeafoodSource: What contribution is marketing marking towards growth in sales of fish products in South Africa? What are some of the

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Published on
August 31, 2022

Cape Town, South Africa-based Sea Harvest Group posted a 29 percent increase in its overall revenue, but a drop in earnings, according to the company’s interim financial results for the six months ending 30 June, 2022.

Sea Harvest’s South African operations were challenged by a 10 percent decline in available hake volumes and significantly higher fuel prices. The company’s total revenue for the period increased to ZAR

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