Region
Kenya

Sector
Aquaculture & Mariculture

Summary:

Kenya's capacity to process tuna for the export market is underexploited. The country is inviting processors to establish a modern factory. There also many other investment opportunities available in the fishing sector.

Contact
Margaret Waithaka

Email
mwaithaka@epzakenya.com

There are a number of investment opportunities available in Kenya's fishing sector, and investors are welcome to enter this promising industry.

Opportunities available are:

Marine fish: Kenya produces about 6 000 metric tonnes of marine fish annually. It however has the potential to produce up to 260 000 tonnes.

Aquaculture: There is a large unexploited potential for aquaculture to supplement the capture of marine resources.

Investment in deep sea fishing logistics, including technical support

Tuna: At the moment Kenya has only one tuna factory that produces cooked frozen tuna loins for further processing in EU countries. Investment in a fully-fledged tuna processing factory is therefore needed.

Financing:Financing is needed for fish processing plants.

Packaging: Production of suitable packaging of fish for export.

Industry overview

Kenya is a coastal state with a marine coastline of 536 kilometres and a well-developed marine fishing industry. In spite of this, Lake Victoria continues to dominate Kenya's fishing output. Fishing in Kenya is mostly carried out by artisanal fishermen operating small fishing boats in inland lakes and marine waters. A small proportion of fish is Kenya is obtained from fish farming (aquaculture).

Over the last few decades Kenya’s fishery sub-sector has gradually evolved from a domestic consumption orientated industry to export orientated industry with value added processing being applied.

Artisanal Fish Processors (AFPs) prepare dried and smoked fish mostly for the local market, while Industrial Fish Processors (IFPs) freeze or chill fish for export and to a lesser extent, for consumption in Kenya’s urban areas. IFPs have become the industry’s driving force. They collect fish from the beaches using refrigerated trucks, buying through intermediary medium and large scale traders and process them for export. IFPs deal in different fish species including Nile Perch, prawns, lobsters, octopus, cuttlefish and squids.

For more information on this and Other investment opportunities in Kenya please contact Margaret Waithaka from the Export Processing Zones Authority mwaithaka@epzakenya.com