A Bountiful Catch
Anchovy exports to China unlock potential of fisheries sector in coastal Kenyan county
Agroup of fishermen from Kenya’s coastal county of Kwale sail quietly in a traditional boat, allowing it to gently glide across the deep waters of the Indian Ocean under a night sky dotted with glittering stars. Abdullai Karim, one of the fishermen, ponders his next fishing expedition as he unloads a bucket full of anchovies (small shoaling fish of commercial importance) locally known as “dagaa” in Swahili.
“I am very excited that dagaa fishing is becoming more profitable here than before, thanks to the recently clinched export deals with China. In the old days, most of us (anchovy fishermen) struggled to find a viable market and mostly relied on a less profitable domestic market, but now exports are reviving the local aquatic sector,” Karim told ChinAfrica.
For Karim, venturing into the deep waters of the Indian Ocean in search of anchovies, a popular local delicacy, has always felt surreal.
Other fishermen in Kwale, a small county located around 30 km southwest of Mombasa, are similarly cheerful about this new development in the local fisheries sector.
“We are thankful to our government for securing a ready market in China for our aquatic produce,” said a fisherman, beaming with joy.
According to the 2023 economic survey report released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the East African country’s total fish production was 174,000 tonnes, valued at 37.5 billion Kenyan shillings ($259 million) in 2022. In this context, Kenya Vision 2030 development blueprint recognised fisheries and aquaculture sectors as the key sources of food security, poverty alleviation, and employment creation.
For this reason, in January 2022, Kenya and China inked two protocols aimed at facilitating bilateral trade in avocados and aquatic products, setting the stage for the exports of anchovies, popular worldwide for their rich nutritional content.
Raising output
While anchovy fishing is the main source of income for the majority of residents of Shimoni in Kwale, they are unable to achieve growth due to outdated fishing techniques and a lack of export market for their catch, despite the fact that the anchovy fishing has proven to be the best aquatic business internationally.
A Chinese company, Huawen Food (Kenya) Export Processing Zone Ltd., has set foot in the area to energise the fishing business. It has established a factory for