Lead image for Fisheries Bill: Fisherfolk bet on Senate to stem overfishing.
The fisherfolk along the Kenyan coast want the Senate to add a clause to the Fisheries Management and Development Bill, 2023, to allow the closure of certain areas to help replenish fish stocks under pressure from overfishing.
The bill proposes mechanisms to strengthen the fight against illegal fishing and improve oversight, focusing on Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean coastline.
It seeks to strengthen penalties and enforce the law on unauthorised foreign commercial vessels exploiting Kenyan waters.
But the coastal fisheries stakeholders further want a legal provision for secluding some areas to build up more fish stocks and are pinning their hope on the Senate after the National Assembly left out such a recommendation, which could have been used to mitigate overfishing and depletion of fish resources in some places.
The National Assembly instead passed the key bill on August 5 this year, leaving out the requirement for closure of areas to ensure the fish stock grows to the benefit of communities and even the government.
Somo Mohamed Somo, chairman of the Beach Management Units (BMU) network on the Indian Ocean water body, said the Senate should include the clause so that communities through BMUs can recommend the closure of areas in consultation with the director general of fisheries.