In October 2018, President Uhuru Kenyatta banned the importation of fish from China citing threats to the local market.
However, frozen fish still floods the local market and unsuspecting consumers are not really aware.
In Kisumu, Jubilee market and the Fishmarket flood with the imported fish much to the dismay of local fishermen who are wary of the illicit commodity’s ability to shoot down their source of livelihood.
"The Chinese fish has the normal smell of fish but it is not that strong. If you are cooking it in your house, the neighbour next door will never know you had a recipe of fish on your menu,” says John Steve Okumu, secretary of the Dunga Fish Farming Community in Kisumu.
The Dunga Fish Farming Community has specialized in the use of cages to rear fish and have also cited concerns with the Chinese fish saying most people prefer the cheap commodity while they are forced to look for markets from faraway places, mostly Nairobi, albeit the fact that the fish I perishable and needs to be sold while still fresh. This has led to more losses.
“The China Fish are everywhere. Even in Nairobi, you need to have a direct market that you just sent the fish too. The local restaurants and big hotels that would have been our main markets are now flooded with China fish and there is nothing we can do because our fish is a bit expensive while the china fish is very cheap,” says Mr Okumu.
On the disturbing presence of the Chinese fish in the local market, the Kenya Bureau of Standards says: "All imports to Kenya are required to be tested at the country of origin; and if they meet the specifications in the standards, they are issued with a certificate of conformity. Upon arrival in Kenya, the imports are subjected to destination insection."
With the country having already hosted the Blue Economy Conference as recently as a month or so ago, the fishing industry is indeed a promising prospect that needs to be considered.
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