BLOGS
Somalia exports fish to Kenya for the first time in over 30 years
Somali fishermen prepare fish for sale in Bosaaso port in Puntland, (Courtesy)
MOGADISHU—For the first time in nearly over 30 years, Somalia has begun exporting fish to neighboring Kenya, thanks in part to a reduction in the level of piracy off the Somali coast and political stability.
In recent years Kenya has increased its importation of fish from Asian countries like China as the country’s supply, from the coast as well as Lake Victoria, has been unable to match the high demands.
Somalia has a new processing factory equipped with modern infrastructures such as better refrigeration to thank for making the trade a reality.
The horn of African state was the worlds leading banana exporter before the government of Siyad Baree was overthrown by warlords in 1991.
Kingfish and tuna are the most popular at the Somalian coast.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the country spent $22.17 million on the fish imports in the first 11 months of 2017 from $10.2 million the previous year, and $6.24 million in 2015.
Somalia’s fish export trade follows another similarly great step back to normalcy the country made since President Farmajo was elected to office.
The civil war in Somalia has prevented many businesses from developing, but fish traders in the port of Kismayo say they are now able to export thanks to better refrigeration at a new processing factory.
”We are at least making some profits in our fishing business, things have improved here nowadays and we hope we will be making more profits God willing,” a fisherman at Kismayo port said.
After nearly 30 years, Somalia Somali Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority (SCAMA) early this week reclaimed its airspace from the United Nations office in Nairobi.
On Monday last week, Somali Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority (SCAMA), announced United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which has been running and controlling Somali airspace from its regional office in Nairobi since 1991, would be closed and all the air operations moved to Mogadishu Aden Abdulle International Airport, effectively ushering a new chapter of Somalia’s airspace being controlled within Somalia.
In recent years, Somali has shoot past Kenya’s traditional markets, Egypt, South Sudan and Rwanda to become one of the top buyers of Kenyan goods.
Kenya’s export to Somalia increased by 33.5 per cent in the first half of 2017, making it the third largest destination for Kenya’s goods in Africa after other markets shrunk.
