Kenya's marine fisheries: an outline of policy and activities

The general area of management of marine resources is one that has gained worldwide prominence since the beginning of the negotiations on the new Law of the Sea at the United Nations in 1968. The paper takes the premise that part of the reason for that concern has been to find a framework for general conservation and rational use of marine resources as natural resources. However, the central reason is that individual states want what they consider an access to equitable share of the resources for use by their nationals. Kenyan delegates have been particularly active at the international negotiations. This paper takes the fisheries sector alone, and examines the range of activities in which Kenya nationals and companies are involved. A primary focus is on the amount of fishing done; where, along the coast, the fishing activities are done; and the contribution of that sector to employment especially to the coastal population. The role of relevant government departments in promoting the activities is appraised and the degree of intrusion of foreign long-distance fleets in Kenyan waters is examined.