Years back, Kenyan lakes were a sight to behold, and a source of some of the best fish in the world.
But over the last two decades, we have witnessed the destruction of the country’s water bodies through human activity.
A large portion of Lake Victoria today is covered with hyacinth, making is impossible for fishermen to get the best out of it. Flamingos that used to give Lake Nakuru a pink cover have disappeared over the years diminishing its status as a tourist attraction.
We can, however, change all these with deliberate efforts to save our water bodies and link them to our development agenda. Blue economy has been highly underrated in Kenya and can be a huge earner of revenue and job creation.
Kenya is hosting the first global conference on the sustainable blue economy, where over 4,000 participants from around the world have converged to learn more about the blue economy.
Among the issues under discussion is how to harnesses the potential of our oceans, seas, lakes and rivers to improve the lives of all, particularly people in developing states, women, youth and Indigenous peoples.
The conference is also tackling how to leverage the latest innovations, scientific advances and best practices to build prosperity while conserving our waters for future generations.
Being the host, Kenya must take a lead role in developing a blue economy aligned to its development agenda. The blue economy relates to the sustainable use and conservation of aquatic resources, including seas, lakes, rivers and oceans.
Kenya has enough rivers, lakes and the Indian Ocean to ride on in this global agenda. Millions of Kenyans depend on these water bodies for their livelihood.
Kenya has enough rivers, lakes and the Indian Ocean to ride on in this global agenda. Millions of Kenyans depend on these water bodies for their livelihood.
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that blue economy industries assure the livelihoods of 660 to 820 million people worldwide. It estimates that women account for about 15 per cent of people directly engaged in fisheries.
Like many other counties across the world, Kenya has been facing major challenges that have dwarfed the growth of the blue economy. These include maritime insecurity, poorly planned and unregulated coastal development, and unsustainable human activities around and in bodies of water
There is also biodiversity loss that compromises human health and food security, caused by pollution, invasive species and ocean acidification.
It is, however, instructive to note that Kenya has been working to deal with these challenges to establish a fully-fledged blue economy. Such initiatives include the launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service to enhance security in the Indian Ocean.
The newly formed Coast Guard Service, which was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta at the headquarters in Liwatoni, will help save Sh10 billion lost through illegal fishing.
It will also be responsible for enforcing maritime security and safety, pollution control and sanitation measures as well as the prosecution of offenders.
This is a great step towards the overall goal aim of activating the blue economy to double GPD growth over the next 5-15 years. Kenya’s blue economy is currently estimated to be contributing about Sh44 billion to the GDP.
According to the Kenya Maritime Authority, fisheries account for only about 0.5 per cent of the country’s GDP and generate employment for over two million Kenyans through fishing, boat building, equipment repair, fish processing, and other ancillary activities.
Kenya has also been aligning its development agenda to the blue economy as outlined in the Big Four agenda, where fish processing is seen as a key enabler to manufacturing growth.
Among the priorities is to identify two aquaculture investors as well as local and foreign investors in fish feed mill.
Counties have not been left behind with the first Jumuiya la Pwani Agribusiness and Blue Economy Investment Conference having been held last week in Mombasa. This consciousness to a sector that we have previously ignored is encouraging for the development of the country.
Political and communications consultant