Italy is helping fishermen's cooperatives on the Kenyan coast, thanks to European Union funding. Yesterday in Mombasa, the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS) held the handover ceremony for 26 boats destined for five 'Beach Management Units' in the counties of Mombasa, Lamu and Kilifi.
This is one of the most significant and direct phases of the European 'Go Blue' programme, which envisages a whole series of interventions, including infrastructure works, training for fishermen, and the introduction of a labelling system to certify the quality of fish on the market.
In Kenya, the scarcity of boats and fishing equipment available to community organisations that manage fisheries locally, forces fishermen to turn to intermediaries for boat hire, often at high costs. Thanks to EU funding, Italian cooperation through 'Go Blue' is intervening in the weakest stages of the artisanal fishing chain.
For this important occasion, in addition to the county governors, Kenya's vice-president, Rigathi Gachagua, was also present, who wished to thank the European Union "for the great support it is giving to our country and our people. We do not take it for granted and we are very grateful for it'.
The ceremony, attended by the director of the Nairobi office of the AICS, Giovanni Grandi, was also attended by the European Union's representative in Kenya, Henriette Geiger, together with Kenya's Minister for Mineral Resources, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Salim Mvurya, as well as the three governors of the partner counties.
"The delivery of the vessels represents a milestone for the Italian component of Go Blue," Grandi said, "we believe this will increase the activities and revenues of the Beach Management Units. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that the resources of the blue economy are used in the most sustainable manner possible".