More than 30 fish landing sites in Mombasa county have been grabbed, a report by the Haki Yetu Organisationindicates.The reportwas presented to the Mombasa Assembly Agriculture Committee on Friday. In the report committee chairman and Mikindani MCA Duncan Onyango said they will name and shame the grabbers in
the assembly on Thursday.
He said landing sites have been grabbed by powerful people in and outside
the county. The report, despite being near the ocean, Mombasa only provides six per cent of the fish in the Kenyan market. It says the county has the potential to provide more than 50
the county. The report, despite being near the ocean, Mombasa only provides six per cent of the fish in the Kenyan market. It says the county has the potential to provide more than 50
per cent of the fish requirement. According to the report, there are 50 landing sites in the county, 14 of which are gazetted and the rest are awaiting formal recognition. “Sadly, none of the sites, gazetted or otherwise, has a title deed or any form of documentation,” reads the report in part. It says rogue land officials and employees of the defunct Mombasa Municipal Council took advantage of the vacuum and took illegal possession of the sites. The report titled ‘Nowhere To Land’ was prepared in February.
Haki Yetuboss Fr Gabriel Dolan told the Star on Saturday, the county government needs to invest m ore in fishing.
“There is also no investment in fishing. We are encouraging them (county government) torepossess the grabbed sites,” he said. Haki Yetu programme coordinator Sebastian Menza said thewhole Coast region, with a coastline that stretches more than 800km, comes third, producing just more than 8,000 tonnes of fish annually. Lake Victoria leads in fish production with more than 110,000 tonnes a year, while fish ponds, most of which are in Central Kenya produces 20,000 tonnes.
“Mariculture (sea fishing) is yet to be fully exploited, compared to freshwater aquaculture. Government-funded
Economic Stimulus Programme saw fresh water fish production grow by 10 per cent
between 2000 and 2010. Fish farming in the ocean was ignored,” Menza said.
Economic Stimulus Programme saw fresh water fish production grow by 10 per cent
between 2000 and 2010. Fish farming in the ocean was ignored,” Menza said.
There is only one cold storage in the county, which is in Old Town. The only fish market in Mombasa is in Likoni.
Ref:- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/30-mombasa-landing-sites-grabbed-haki#sthash.6kezer4d.dpuf
MOMBASA, KENYA: A Mombasa-based civil society organisation has called for the repossession of grabbed or blocked fish landing sites in Mombasa county.In its latest report complied in February but released in Mombasa on Monday, Haki Yetu Organisation which is associated with the Bangladesh Catholic Church Parish in Mombasa, listed 51 fish landing sites which it says have been grabbed or are in danger of being acquired by the speculators.
The report indicates that 18 sites were grabbed by individuals and institutions while more than 30 sites have not been gazetted and hence exposed to grabbers.
The report urges the National Land Commission (NLC) and Mombasa county government to carry out a survey and ensure all landing sites are issued with title deeds in the name of registered Beach Management Units (BMUs). It also calls for immediate revocation of titles of the grabbed sites.
The report has been released by the Haki Yetu director and priest in charge of the Bangladesh parish Father Gabriel Dolan.
Father Dolan notes that the coast region annual catch stands only at five percent of the 174,000 metric tonnes of fish produced in the country because of neglect of the coastal fisheries and corruption.
"The report shows that at the heart of unproductivity is corruption. Fishermen have seen their landing sites disappear one by one to hotels, industries, churches, beach plots and foreigners," Father Dolan noted.
The report is titled "Nowhere to land: The case of grabbed, inaccessible and neglected fish landing sites in Mombasa county."
It says that at the Kibarani landing site, Kenya Railways plot number VMN/508 under a 99-year lease with effect from January 1 1966 has been subdivided and transferred to a private company for Sh30 million.
However the report notes that files for various landing sites are missing at the land offices.
Ref:http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/article/2000162789/report-51-fish-landing-sites-in-mombasa-grabbed
