Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-02-10 10:21:52
Kenya’s imports of tilapia from China dropped by 54.4% in the last year, reflecting the country’s efforts to protect local fishermen and farmers by reducing reliance on foreign sources of the fish. Data from Chinese authorities revealed that 1,927.81 tonnes of frozen tilapia, frozen tilapia fillets, and preserved whole or chopped-up pieces of the fish were exported to Kenya in 2023, representing a significant decrease from the 4,228.24 tonnes imported in the previous year.
In 2021, Kenya imported 9,886.5 tonnes of tilapia from China, indicating a sharp decline in purchases of the delicacy from the populous Asian country in recent years. This reduction in imports coincides with the Kenyan government’s response to pressure from local fishermen and fish farmers, who have been adversely affected by the influx of cheap imports from China.
To protect the local aquaculture sector, which provides employment for thousands of individuals, the government imposed a 10% excise duty on imported fish last year. This move was motivated by concerns about the negative impact of increased fish importation on the local industry. The National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, emphasized the government’s commitment to promoting and safeguarding the local fish industry, proposing the introduction of excise duty on imported fish at Sh100,000 per metric tonne or 10% of the excisable value, whichever is higher.
The primary aim of the excise duty was to make fish imports more expensive in order to narrow the price gap between imported fish and locally produced fish. Tilapia is the most widely consumed and traded fish in Kenya, sourced from Lake Victoria and other freshwater bodies like Lake Naivasha, as well as being reared in fish ponds by farmers. While tilapia is the main fish sold in Kenya, the country also imports other types of fish such as mackerel, anchovies, catfish, and Nile Perch from China.
Interestingly, mackerel surpassed tilapia to become Kenya’s largest fish import from China last year. The quantity of mackerel imports (3,316.44 tonnes) exceeded that of tilapia, marking a 72% increase in comparison to the quantity of tilapia imports during the same period. However, mackerel imports saw a slight decline from the previous year’s 3,197.35 tonnes.
Despite Lake Victoria being Kenya’s primary source of fish, dwindling stocks in recent years have led the country to rely more on imports to meet the growing demand for fish. Kenya faces an estimated annual deficit of 365,000 tonnes of fish against a demand of 500,000 tonnes, indicating the need for continued efforts to support and strengthen the local fish industry.
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