Kenya’s government has announced plans to repeal and replace the country’s fisheries act soon after it shelved contentious aquaculture licensing regulations.
The East African nation’s existing Fisheries Management and Development Act, originally introduced in 2016, has been criticized for, among other issues, a lack of clarity regarding how the national government and the 47 counties in the nation should delegate and manage fisheries and aquaculture resources.
According to Pete Ondeng, the board secretary of the Lake Victoria Aquaculture Association (LVAA), Kenya’s existing law also “faced widespread criticism for being outdated and misaligned with the fishing sector’s evolving realities.”
“The decision to overhaul this act is, therefore, a welcome move,” he told SeafoodSource.
“The [new proposed legislation] seeks to provide a comprehensive framework for the development, governance, and investment of the oceans and fisheries resources,” Kenya National Assembly Clerk Samwel Njoroge said. “It also aims to align governance of the fisheries sector to [Kenya’s] constitution, which calls for sustainable use of our natural resources for the benefit of the people of Kenya and governance at the national and county levels of government.”
Though seafood stakeholders like Ondeng are pleased the act is undergoing changes, he worries new legislation could face similar issues...
