Department of Fisheries lifts ban on import of Chinese fish

Gov't lifts ban on Chinese fish

Mark Mwithaga

February 18, 2019 5:50 PM

All systems go for the product

Fish on display at a market

Department of Fisheries lifted the ban on Chinese fish following a shortage of fish in the country.

An official at the department who sought anonymity, stated that the shortage being experienced was due to withholding of a cargo at the port.

Cargos at the port in Mombasa Pulse Live Kenya

“We were forced to lift the ban to ease the shortage after a huge consignment of fish got stuck at the port, impacting negatively on local supplies,” remarked the official.

The official further affirmed that the ban had been lifted in January to help prevent the shortage from developing into a crisis.

This comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta had banned the importation of the product in November 2018.

"I have been told about the imported fish from China. It is not possible that we import Chinese fish when our local traders are here," remarked Kenyatta.

The government through Acting Director General of the Kenya Fisheries Service Susan Imende had however suspended the ban in the same month to pave way for consultations.

"This is to inform you that the same has been put on stay.

"To allow further consultations, assessment and development of frameworks for handling Tilapia imports," stated Imende.

Ban on Chinese fish an act of war

In June last year, Nakuru County Governor Lee Kinyanjui had ordered all Chinese nationals involved in fishing at Lake Naivasha to stop the practice.

Acting Ambassador Li Xuhang during a past media briefing Pulse Live Kenya

The move to ban the fish had been interpreted as an act of war by Acting Ambassador Li Xuhang who pointed out that the Asian country could react in the same way it reacted to the US when President Donald Trump sanctioned tariffs on Chinese goods.

The threat had been feared to cause problems for the SGR construction loan Kenya had sought to facilitate the advancement of the Naivasha-Kisumu phase.

Mark Mwithaga