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Somalia begins exporting fish to Kenya for the first time in 30yrs

Somalia has a new processing factory equipped with modern infrastructures such as better refrigeration to thank for making the trade a reality.

Somalia, town by decades of war and civil unrest now exports fish to neighbouring Kenya, thanks in part to a reduction in the level of piracy off the Somali coast.

Kingfish and tuna are the most popular.

Since civil war erupted in 1991, many businesses suffered a natural death, however with peace slowly returning fish traders in the port of Kismayo say they are now able to export.

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In recent years Kenya has increased its imports of fish from China as the country's supply, from the coast as well as Lake Victoria, has been unable to match demand.

Within the past two years, China's fish exports to Kenya have doubled buoyed by rising demand, much to the dismay of local traders.

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.

Kenya has also been reaping big from Somalia’s return to normalcy in terms of trade.

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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.

Exports grew to Sh10.71 billion in the first six months compared to Sh8.02 billion over the same period in 2016, according to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data.

Somalia’s fish export trade follows another similarly great step back to normalcy the country made this week.

After nearly 30 years, Somalia Somali Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority (SCAMA) early this week reclaimed its airspace from the United Nations.

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On Monday, 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.

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