Mazera Ndurya
23 September 2008
Nairobi — The proposed fisheries policy has split the parent ministry and some fishermen on its usefulness in addressing the sector's problems.
The North Coast Fishermen Association has dismissed the policy being finalised by the Fisheries Development ministry as lacking in representation as their views were not sought.
Fisheries minister Paul Otuoma has said that many of the ills affecting the sector will be addressed through proper legislation.
The changes include the establishment of a fisheries development authority and creating four divisions in the department of fisheries.
The chairman of the fishermen's association, Mr Ali Shaibu Shekue, told the Nation that the policy was elitist as it did not fully involve the local fishermen.
"It is not enough to talk of a policy when the people who have been feeling the pinch were not sensitised and asked to play a bigger role in its enactment," Mr Shakue said.
Kenya Marine Forum secretary Anwarry Abae said they would not recognise the new policy and announced there were plans to block the conclusion of the document.
He said the policy did not address issues like empowering fishermen through better fishing gear, marketing and environmental issues, adding that only the rich had been benefiting from the resource.
He said the proposed fisheries authority was not important going by the number of authorities that had failed due to lack of funding.
The permanent secretary, Prof Micheni Ntiba, defended the Government, saying several meetings had been held between technical officers and the local fishermen on the policy.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
