Nairobi, July 8 (Xinhua Finance and Economics) -- At 7:29 a.m. Beijing time on June 26, China Southern Airlines flight CZ6044 from Nairobi landed in Changsha, loaded with the first batch of 27 boxes of dried anchovy exported from Kenya to China, totaling more than 300 kilograms of dried anchovy. The dried fish from Kenya who participated in the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo only took more than ten hours to fly to China. However, the large-scale export of Kenyan wild aquatic products to China took the first step as early as five years ago.
On June 29th, at the Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center, the main exhibition hall of the 3rd China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, exhibitor staff introduced anchovy products to the audience. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Sun Ruibo
A 'historic moment' for Kenya's blue economy
Three days before the successful export to China, on June 23, the launch ceremony of Kenyan anchovy exports to China was held in the town of Shimoni in Quale County on the southeast coast of Kenya.
Salim Mvurya, Kenya's Minister of Mines, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, said at the launch ceremony: "Today is a historic moment as we export our first anchovy to China. For a long time, Kenya and China have maintained friendly relations and have good cooperation in different economic fields and development projects. In the future, the blue economy will open up new areas for Sino-Kenyan cooperation. ”
In addition to increasing trade, Mburiya said that the realization of exports has led to an increase in the level of local fishing skills, which has helped to increase catch production and increase local fishery revenues, while also creating more jobs.
Daniel N. Mungai, director of Kenya's National Fisheries Agency, also said at the launch ceremony that more Chinese companies are welcome to invest and operate in Kenya, which will help extend the value chain of local aquatic products and create more economic added value. "Fisheries currently contribute about 0.5 per cent of Kenya's GDP and if done right, we are on track to increase that figure to over 10 per cent," Mongay said. Mongay added that China's strict market access conditions have also further regulated Kenya's aquatic products and enhanced its competitiveness.
Zhang Yijun, official counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said in his congratulatory letter that the export of Kenyan anchovy to China is the latest breakthrough made by the two countries in the export of Kenyan wild aquatic products to China since the signing of the Protocol on Inspection and Quarantine and Veterinary Hygiene Requirements for Wild Aquatic Products Exported from Kenya to China in January 2022. This will increase the income and standard of living of local fishermen and boost Kenya's blue economy.
Local fishermen "no longer have to worry about fish not being sold"
Jinzai Food Group Co., Ltd. is the company that contributed to the export. The company invested in Kenya in 2018, mainly engaged in the primary processing of fresh fish. After more than a year of factory construction, the Jinzai Food Kenya project finally started trial operation in October 2019 and gradually increased production capacity. But the export process was interrupted by the sudden coronavirus pandemic, which lasted more than three years. Finally, on June 16, 2023, the company completed all export formalities and obtained export approval from the General Administration of Customs.
Relying on Kenya's good sea environment and abundant anchovy resources, Jinzai Food organized local fishermen to fish, and purchased and processed into small dried fish from 7 nearby fishing villages for export to China, with a planned daily production capacity of about 200 tons.
Staff load dried anchovy into trucks at a launch ceremony in Shimoni Township, Kwalai County, Kenya, June 23. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Guansen
Abdi Bakari Dura, a local fisherman, said working with Chinese companies has brought him a steady income. The 30-year-old fisherman, who has been fishing for more than a decade, has never had to worry about the oversupply affecting the selling price of anchovy since he started supplying the factory last year. "The fishermen are very happy after the factory opens, and we no longer have to worry about the fish not being sold."
Mohamed Salim Chamira, a fisherman in Shimoni town, has been supplying fresh anchovy to the Jinzai Food factory for more than a year. "We have a mutually beneficial relationship with the factory, and I have mobilized other fishermen to supply the factory with their catch, so that fishing can make our lives better."
Liu Zhiyong, project leader of Jinzai Foods Kenya, said that at this stage, the factory can employ more than 200 local workers during the fishing season. According to the current production capacity development trend of the factory, more than 1,700 tons of dried small fish will be exported to China this year, driving more than 500 local jobs.
Liu Zhiyong also revealed that the company plans to bring more advanced fishery equipment and technology to Kenya in the future, transfer fishing, deep processing and other links here, and develop new products according to local resources, further enhance the added value of Kenya's export aquatic products, and promote the overall development of the local aquatic product industry chain.
In order to further cultivate the Kenyan market, Jinzai Food Kenya Project has also carried out talent reserve in advance. Shaban Mgala Chirima, a young university graduate, has now grown into a production supervisor at the factory after some time of training.
Shaban said that because of the low level of local education, it is difficult for a large number of young people to find jobs, and Chinese factories provide them with jobs and organize corresponding training. "Anchovy is a popular delicacy here, but it's sold directly for a very low price." Saban also said processed anchovy products can also be exported abroad, helping to further boost the income of coastal fishers.
Many African countries have begun to pay attention to the blue economy
Bordering the Indian Ocean to the east, Kenya's rich marine resources give the country great fishing potential. However, local fishing technology and equipment are relatively backward, and fishermen mainly rely on small boats to cast their nets by hand, and the amount of fish caught is very limited.
According to a recent interview by Shipping & Logistics magazine with fishermen in coastal counties such as Quarle, Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu, most of them said they lacked proper equipment for deep-sea fishing and watched foreign fishing vessels remove economically valuable fish.
Lamu County Mayor Issa Timamy said foreign trawlers were making a fortune catching precious tuna within Kenya's exclusive economic zone. And the local fishermen, due to the lack of modern boats, can only "look at the ocean".
According to a recent report by Kenya's National Fisheries Agency, only 17% of the country's total fish production in 2021 came from marine fishing, another 13% from aquaculture, and the remaining 70% all from inland freshwater fishing.
Fishermen fish along Kenya's eastern coast on June 22. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Guansen
In fact, as early as 2017, Kenya established the President's Blue Economy Working Group, which takes the use of marine resources to promote sustainable economic development, increase employment and promote the healthy development of marine ecosystems as important goals. The government has identified ports, shipping, marine fishing, aquaculture, marine tourism and marine biotechnology as priority areas for the blue economy. Kenya's Vision 2030 sets out four agendas: food and nutrition security, affordable housing, manufacturing and universal health care, emphasizing that the blue economy will be an important starting point to promote these four agendas.
On September 13, 2022, President-elect William Samoy Ruto of Kenya was sworn in in the capital Nairobi, officially becoming Kenya's fifth president since independence. At the beginning of the new government's work, in order to focus on the development of the country's blue economy, a new department was established in the cabinet, namely the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs.
On February 15 this year, Kenya's Ministry of Mines, Blue Economy and Marine Affairs launched a five-year national blue economy strategy to help the country realize the full potential of its blue resources. Mburiya said marine resources have great potential to help economic growth and create jobs. "We are currently only developing 8% of the potential of the blue economy." Mburiya said.
In addition to Kenya, many African countries have also set their sights on the blue economy: Seychelles has formulated the Blue Economy Strategic Policy Framework and Roadmap: Planning for the Future (2018-2030); The Tanzanian government has made accelerating the development of the blue economy one of its top priorities this year; Ethiopia, a landlocked country, also proposed to use the regional blue economy as an opportunity to promote the development of national transportation and logistics; Togo, Mauritania, Senegal and other countries have also introduced various measures to vigorously develop the blue economy, while emphasizing that development and protection go hand in hand.
Zuma, former chairman of the AU Commission, said Africa is far from fully exploiting and utilizing marine resources, and Africa's marine economy is expected to reach $1 trillion. The African Union has developed the Africa Ocean Holistic Strategy 2050 to support and encourage the development of a vibrant, environmentally friendly and sustainable blue economy, which is regarded as the blueprint for Africa's ocean economy. In 2020, the African Union launched the "Blue Economy Strategy for Africa", emphasizing the implementation of relevant measures through cooperation with African regional organizations and UN agencies.
Kenya's successful export of wild aquatic products to China will drive more African countries to have blue economic exchanges with China. In the future, more imports and exports of aquatic products and the resulting investment will further promote the bilateral economy and benefit the people.
Editor: Guo Zhouyang
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