A Bountiful Catch

By Derrick Silimina

A group 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the main source of income for the majority of residents of Shimoni in Kwale, they are unable to achieve growth due to outdated fishing techniques and a lack of export market for their catch, despite the fact that the anchovy fishing has proven to be the best aquatic business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 processing and packaging anchovies bought from local fishermen in Kwale.  

The Chinese firm’s quest to inject fresh vitality into the local blue economy has made the Kenyan government optimistic about the prospects of the exports of processed anchovy products to the vast Asian market and job creation for the youth in Kenya’s coastal areas. 

“Employment is the top priority for President William Ruto’s government; we will give Huawen the required support to make it grow,” Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Salim Mvurya said recently while flagging off the first consignment of anchovies destined for the Chinese market from Kwale. 

The establishment of the factory has enlarged revenue streams for local artisanal fishermen, created new jobs, and boosted the ongoing efforts to inject vibrancy into Kenya’s fisheries sector. 

The first batch of anchovies from the Kenyan coast were showcased at the third edition of the recently held China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan Province. 

“This is the first batch of export to China and we hope for win-win economic and trade cooperation between China and Kenya. We are happy to be in Kwale providing work opportunities to the local people,” Huawen Managing Director Liu Zhiyong said.  

Liu elaborated that the company provides direct and indirect employment to the residents as it buys fish from local fishermen, thus contributing to the improvement of their livelihoods. 

Additionally, as a way of capacity building for the fishermen, the company is planning to offer training on modern vessels, new technology and equipment, so as to maximise production, create more employment opportunities, and strengthen relationship with the community. 

Reliable market 

Analysts say the investment by the seafood company brings an exceptional opportunity to local fishermen by assuring a reliable market for their catch, hence spurring the growth of the local blue economy. 

Speaking at the flagging-off event, Fatuma Masito, a member of parliament from Kwale County, stressed that the occasion comes at a time when the local people are looking up to the ocean as one of their only sources of economic empowerment.  

The lawmaker urged management of the factory to give the residents highest priority in recruitment as it makes plans to increase its workforce from the current 150 to 500 in the coming months.  

The Kenya Fisheries Service revealed that over 350 kg of anchovies earmarked for shipment to China are part of the 70 tonnes already processed at Kibuyuni in Shimoni area of Kwale by Huawen. 

“The recent flagging-off ceremony of the first batch of anchovies destined for China is a reassurance that the economy of this fishing county will be revived,” said Hussein Juma, a local fisherman.