The 400 miles of the Kenya coastline are relatively well served by communications, except to the Lamu area and north, where no road link exists with Mombasa for approximately three months of the year, during the rains. Mombasa is the largest market with a population of 200,000, the rest of the coastal region having a population of about 500,000. There are airstrips at Lamu (population 6,000) and Kiwaiyu, and airports at Malindi and Mombasa. Mombasa is linked by rail to the interior, and the 310-mile Mombasa to Nairobi road will be fully covered by a tarmac surface within a year or two. Mombasa is linked to the entire (except for a few miles) southern part of the coast by a tarmac road. Malindi (population 6,000) is the most important fishing centre between Mombasa and Lamu and will be linked by a tarmac road to Mombasa by 1970. Mombasa is served by steamer services to all parts of the world and at present has a connection by coastal vessel with Lamu.
The present inshore catch is estimated at 5,000 tons per annum. The Fisheries Department of Kenya is planning to increase production to 20,000 tons over the next five years. The expert considers that this is an over-optimistic target because:
the potential of the inshore grounds is known only very approximately. No detailed survey of these grounds has been carried out in recent years. It does not seem possible, furthermore, to make forecasts on the basis of actually obtained fishing results in similar waters, since no data of this kind are available;
the local markets on the coast have a population of only some 700,000, as against the size of the present market of 3.8 million people for freshwater fish in the interior. The chief inland market is Nairobi, where sea fish is in competition with cheaper lake-produced fish.
It has taken 12 years for the coastal fishery to increase catches from 3,000 6 to 5,000 tons, and this has been accomplished only as the result of a very good program of gear improvement and technical training, under the guidance of the fisheries staff stationed there throughout this period. Annual production for the past nine years has remained virtually static, at around 4,000 to 5,000 tons. The situation at Malindi is typical; from 1955 to 1964 catches increased only modestly, from 445 to 519 tons per annum. Inland, there has been a more rapid expansion of the demand for freshwater fish, as can be shown on the basis of the fast growth of the fish farming program; also, the landings from the lakes have grown faster, e.g. from 8,300 tons in 1960 to 15,500 tons in 1964.
The coastal inshore fisheries, with the possible exception of those on the Lamu grounds, are basically poorer in fishery resources than the inland waters, and it requires a greater investment in gear, boats, transport, processing facilities, etc. to achieve a similar rate of progress. The average output per fisherman in the inland fisheries, thus, has been three times that of the fishermen in marine fisheries, in quantity as well as in value terms. Much of the future prospects of marine fisheries will depend on how successful the campaign (referred to later in this report) to persuade traditional non-fish eaters to include sea fish as well as freshwater fish in their diet will be, and also on whether the price of sea fish can be reduced to one competitive with freshwater fish. For the sake of sea fisheries development, furthermore, it will be necessary to develop export markets for catches in excess of local requirements.
At present, no further expansion of production from the inshore waters beyond the 1970 target of 20,000 tons can be envisaged until further detailed biological and fishing surveys of the potential have been carried out.
The first requirement for the achievement of an expansion of the present catch of 5,000 tons per annum will be the replacement of the inefficient gear presently employed by the fishermen by new types of gear, especially the polyethylene Ozio and Tata traps, developed by the Fisheries Department over the past few years. Ozio traps of polyethylene average catches of 70 lbs. per day compared with catches of approximately 20 lbs. per day made with those constructed with the traditional chicken wire which rots quickly. The replacement of the old traps would result in a rapid increase in production. Traps made of the new material, however, cost up to £100 (depending on size). An expenditure of this magnitude is beyond the means of most fishermen.
The second measure which is required to improve fishing results is the mechanization of inshore craft and their gradual replacement by small sea-going vessels which can operate outside the reef and are able to catch pelagic species of fish (the reef, incidentally, is, for much of the coast, only 1 to 1½ miles off-shore). The expert was informed that at present only one local fisherman is operating a powered boat along the Kenya coast.
6 See 1952 Report of the Fisheries Department of Kenya.
As the experience over the last 10 years indicates, the fishery cannot hope to expand as envisaged, and the above proposed two measures cannot be implemented without the establishment of a loan and grant scheme. At present, a revolving loan fund of £5,000 is being administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, but the operation of the scheme was suspended in 1963 and 1964 because of the number of loans which were in default.
To meet the development needs of the inshore fisheries, the expert recommends that:
a subsidy scheme be introduced on the lines of the Agricultural, Veterinary and Fisheries Subsidy Scheme in operation in Uganda, to allow “progressive” fishermen, approved by the Fisheries Department, to acquire polyethylene webbing for the replacement of traps as well as other approved gear, such a lobster pots (all crayfish and lobster are now being caught by hand) with the help of a 50 per cent subsidy (it is suggested that the total amount of the subsidy be limited, in the first instance, to £2,000, subject to annual review);
a subsidy be introduced, again on the lines of the Uganda scheme (see Appendix A), to allow the fishermen to purchase new fishing boats of approved design. As provided in the Uganda scheme, it is suggested that the amount of the subsidy be limited to 33 per cent and that the total amount of the subsidy be limited initially to £5,000 per annum, again subject to annual review (the subsidy scheme would stimulate activity at the local boat-yards at Lamu, Malindi and Mombasa and help encourage the boat-building industry);
the loan scheme be reviewed and an overall amount of £20,000 (a sum that is appropriate in relation to the size of the industry) be set aside as a revolving loan for the fishing industry on the coast (the proposed increase in fisheries staff in the region should make it possible to keep a stricter surveillance over borrowers than in the past; also, if the proposals to start a wholesale fish market at Mombasa and to centralize landings at various strategic points along the coast are implemented, it should be easier to collect loan repayments). The Fisheries Officers and Fisheries Development Officers should be closely associated with the loan scheme. It has been noted 7 that, in the past, some loans were issued without any prior consultation with the Fisheries Department; some of the loans were for the renewal of old craft and the continuation of the older, more inefficient, methods of fishing.
If and when necessary, the loan scheme would be used to assist in the financing of the unsubsidized 50 per cent in connection with the gear replacement scheme and in the financing of purchases of approved engines for fishing boats;
the size of the field staff be urgently increased. At present, there are only three Fisheries Assistants, all of a low educational level, assigned to the coastal area. These three assistants are responsible for the collection of statistics along some 400 miles of coastline. It is recommended that future recruits to the staff should have a secondary school education. To cover the coast effectively, maintain liaison with the fishermen, and to obtain a minimum coverage of landings, a staff of at least 12 Fisheries Assistants would be required;
attempts should be made, once extra staff has been recruited, to improve the quality of statistical information. At present, only Malindi is completely covered. Even in this area, it is recommended that, as and when a suitably qualified man is recruited to the Fisheries Department as Marketing/Statistical Officer, he review, with some urgency, the present methods of collecting statistics. Occasional checks should also be made of sales in the retail markets to establish some control on the reliability of the data gathered at the landings. A check on the survey of Mombasa market which was carried out at the time of the expert's visit to Kenya, showed that much greater quantities of fish were on sale from the Tana River than had been estimated at the landings there. Further, an examination of occasional records that were available at Lamu also showed that as much as 200 tons of dried fish were being received there in a month from local fishing grounds for shipment to Mombasa. If this rate of catch were maintained throughout the year, the catch in the Lamu area would have to be estimated to exceed 7,000 tons of fish a year, i.e. a quantity far greater than the present catch estimate for the entire Kenya coast. There has been a tendency to add up data on dried and fresh fish operations in one total, without converting dried fish to fresh fish equivalent; this also makes it difficult to obtain a valid estimate of total catches on the coast;
advantage should be taken of the present 2-year assignments of the FAO/TA Master-fisherman and the FAO/TA Biologist to Mombasa to extend their surveys of commercial fish stocks to the whole inshore waters of the coast, with the main emphasis to be placed on the N. Kenya grounds, and secondary emphasis on the Shimoni area. Attempts should be made to recruit a Marine Fisheries Biologist at an early date to carry out surveys of fish stocks on a continuing basis.
7 In the 1963 Annual Report of the Fisheries Department of Kenya.
The deep sea fisheries are at present being investigated by a team of FAO/TA experts stationed at Mombasa. In the following, a few comments on these fisheries are given.
In 1963, Japanese fishermen caught 99,900 tons of tuna and marlin, with a landed value of approximately £8 million, in the India Ocean. It is possible for Kenya to participate in this fishery. The quantity of fish the country might obtain from this source depends on the effort expended and the size of the investment in the fishery, and on the successful establishment of joint catching and processing operations with experienced fishing nations, either now engaged in the Indian Ocean fishery or with experience in similar fisheries elsewhere.
To date, the FAO/TA team has described an unexploited tuna - marlin resource in the Kenya coastal area. At recent meetings attended by Government officials, the team expressed the view that about 5,000 tons per year of tuna, marlin and other fish might be taken with ten fishing units. Initial catches, before the fishery was stabilized, might be as high as 13,000 tons, worth £1,200,000 at Mombasa (the stable catch about £600,000). A catch of the order of 5,000 tons of these fish could be readily disposed of in the world market. It is recommended, therefore, that necessary negotiations be entered into at an early date so that an industry based on Mombasa, with its excellent harbour facilities, can be established. The sooner Kenya enters this fishery, the sooner she will have a voice in international discussions on the control of tuna fishing and the allocation of resources to the interested fishing countries.
The work at present being carried out in Kenya in connection with the survey of stocks is invaluable to the future of this industry. Kenya, however, should not wait for the completion of the survey before taking action, since the reports are only likely to reconfirm the prospects in these fisheries, in view of the results already obtained to date by the team and the success of the commercial operations of the Japanese fishermen.
The Mombasa FAO/TA team is also looking into sardine prospects, chiefly to determine the value of these resources as long-line bait for the tuna-marlin fishery. EAMFRO is at present conducting coastal surveys from the Pemba channel to the Lamu archipelago. Preliminary findings indicate the resource is modest in size from Shimoni north.
The shell fisheries were investigated in 1965 by Dr. A. Sparks of the A.I.D. of the United States and a report on his findings has been submitted to the Government of Kenya. The work of Dr. Sparks is being continued by the Kenya Coastal Fisheries Corporation.
The sport fisheries are of prime importance to the tourist industry, which is of major significance on the Kenya coast, providing welcome employment to local boat crews, incidentally training them in power boat operation and marine engine maintenance, as well as creating work for the boat-yards and engineering establishments. It was with a view to assisting these fisheries that the expert included an officer with responsibility for the development of this industry in the proposed new establishment for the Kenya Fisheries Department.
Provision has been made by the Fisheries Department in the 1965–70 Development Plan for this very necessary project which is to provide a sheltered anchorage for the important Malindi commercial and sport fishing industries. The survey carried out by the expert convinced him of the urgent need for going ahead with this project.
Very little is known regarding the distribution of seafish, and no records exist on how much is transported to Nairobi and other points inland. Since the railways could not supply any information, it was not possible to obtain a picture of the growth of the inland market over the years.
In 1958, it was estimated that Nairobi was taking 400 tons of seafish a year 8. Present deliveries to Nairobi are estimated by the leading fish dealers in the city at about 1 ton per day. Since all sales in Nairobi are to the European and Asian markets, which have remained virtually static for some years, the estimate seems reasonable.
As regards the Mombasa market for fresh sea fish, one wholesaler estimated deliveries at about 1,200 tons a year. In addition, large quantities of dried sea fish (1,145 tons per year in fresh fish equivalent) are being received from Aden, etc., an additional possibly 500 tons per year of dried freshwater fish (in fresh fish equivalent) from the Tana River, Lake Victoria, Tanzania and Uganda, and about 150 tons (in fresh fish equivalent) of tilapia fillets. This gives a total consumption of approximately 3,000 tons per annum or 33 lbs. per head per year. Finally, there are receipts of dried fish from Lamu, but these are perhaps offset by distribution of some of the imported fish from Aden to inland markets. Per capita consumption on the coast is high in relation to the average elsewhere in Kenya and reflects the high average income in Mombasa compared with other parts of the coast, where probably only about 12 lbs. per head is consumed.
Although the situation on the coast remains rather much as it was when Crutchfield made his survey in 1958, facilities for marketing have improved a great deal since.
The road to Lamu from the south, which are one time was out of action for six months of the year, is now motorable for nine months. The road from Mombasa to Malindi has been improved and complete tarmac surfacing is planned. The road to the south coast has been surfaced with tarmac. Airstrips have been built at Lamu and Kiwayu. Malindi Airport has been improved. A steamer service from Mombasa to Lamu has been started.
Fishing in Lamu has been stimulated by Ameer's Fish Supply Ltd., of Mombasa, which is buying fresh fish daily at Faza and Sikitini, using three launches with insulated holds and ice for transport. When the road from Mkowe is interrupted, they land at Ngemeni and tranship the fish by road to Mombasa. They have provided a new outlet for from 80,000 to 100,000 lbs. of fish a month, and the fishermen are getting a better price than when they had to dry all of their surplus catches (25 cts. per lb. for fresh fish; 15 cts. per lb. for dried fish). The Company is hoping to put in another two launches to Kiunga. In Mombasa, it operates a cold store and an excellent retail/wholesale shop. It has a large local market for prawns and lobsters. It also hopes to start direct retailing in Nairobi to lower the price of sea fish there and increase the market. The firm has invested a good deal of capital, is performing a useful service in the difficult coastal area, and merits active official encouragement and support.
Lamu Fisheries Ltd., of Mombasa, has started the processing of shell fish and has developed an export market for lobster tails and headed prawns. The firm has a modern processing plant and cold store at Mombasa, with subsidiary plants in Somalia and Zanzibar. It also has pioneered a lobster buying-processing operation at Kiwayu Island, where it installed an airstrip, a cold-store and a processing line. The processing plant was sold to the Government of Kenya in 1964 and has been lying idle since. As a result of the survey of shell-fish resources by Prof. A. Sparks of the A.I.D. of the United States in the first six months of 1965, proposals are now under discussion with Lamu Fisheries Ltd., which, if accepted, would result in the participation by the Government of Kenya, Lamu Fisheries Ltd., and overseas commercial interests, in an expanded company which would increase the off-take of lobsters and prawns on the coast, especially for export, and revive the activities of the Kiwayu plant. The scheme is a sound one and should result in increased earnings for the inshore fishermen. The scheme will also assist fishermen to modernize their boats, equipment, and fishing methods.
Construction of the Malindi Market has been completed. Originally, it was hoped that the installation would cost only £8,000. Because of a 4-year delay in construction, difficulties with the contractors, and problems connected with the installation of refrigeration equipment, the actual cost was over £16,000. Most of the excess cost was met by grants-in-aid by the Government but the Malindi Town Council has to pay back over a short period a loan of £6,000 at 6½ per cent interest from the Local Authorities Loan Fund. A fall-off in the shark catch since 1957, and adverse weather conditions in 1964, also were responsible for the fact that catch estimates for that year were not realized. The market, therefore, ran at a small loss during its first full year of operation. This has been a disappointment to the Malindi Town Council. On the other hand, the operation of the market, with competitive bidding on the part of the buyers, has resulted in an increase in prices received by the fishermen and increased their earnings. Much of this money is likely to be spent in Malindi Town.
To put operations on an economic basis, the volume of fish going through the market should be expanded. In this connection, the implementation of the recommendations made elsewhere in this report may help to solve the problem.
The Mombasa market outlets have been improved. The Old Harbour retail market is still functioning but, as in 1958, is selling very little fish -there are 20 fishmongers in the market, each handling about 10 to 20 lbs. per day. In the Makupa market, there are six fishmongers selling fresh sea fish. Fresh fish outlets were seen also elsewhere in the vicinity. Finally, there are 35 fishmongers in Makupa market selling hot-smoked freshwater fish; when the market was visited by the expert, approximately 15 tons was seen on sale on one morning, mainly from the Tana River area, but also from Tanzania and from Kisumu, 500 miles away.
Other fresh sea fish outlets have developed at Nyali, Changambwe, Likoni and Tudor markets which serve African residential areas. The price of sea fish, it was noted, was much higher than that of lake fish. Clarias, brought on ice from the Tana River, was selling for 50 cts. a lb., compared with cheap varieties of sea fish which was selling at shs. 1/50 per lb.
The Mombasa Municipal Council recently voted £24,000 to erect a new wholesale fish market on the site of the present retail fish market in the Old Market area. Retail sales will then be made at a reconstructed meat and fish market at Majengo which will be adjacent to the fruit and vegetable market. The latter is in the middle of the main shopping area and the transfer of the market should result in much brisker sales.
The Mombasa Municipal Council also would like to improve fish selling facilities in the outlying markets as well as provide proper facilities for the 40 fishmongers who sell dried fish at the McInnon Road Market. Funds were limited, however, and no work could be initiated along these lines at the time of the expert's visit.
At Shimoni, existing facilities for handling the catches are very poor. The landing is neglected, the buildings used for storing fish on ice (until transport is available) are derelict, and the last 12 miles of road to the landing are deep in sand and difficult for vehicle traffic. The catch, which is now over 250 tons per year, compared with 180 tons in 1958, could be expanded considerably if better landing and handling facilities were available.
The fishmongers dealing in freshwater fish seem to have obtained a greater share of the improved market facilities than the dealers in sea fish. A similar situation was noted in Dar-es-Salaam, where far greater quantities of dried freshwater fish than sea fish were on sale in the main market. The main reason for this may be related to the circumstance that the traders in lake fish are content with a smaller profit margin than the sea fish dealers and are thus able to undercut prices. Most sea fish is sold in the market for three times the price the fisherman receives, no matter how short the haul. The large spread may also reflect, to some extent at least, poorer catches and small trade turnovers in sea than in lake fisheries. The coastal traders and fishermen would do well to try to reduce prices and costs by all means possible, since otherwise they may be priced out of the East African markets. It is easy to understand why the Nairobi housewife prefers good-quality lake fish, which she can get for shs. 1/70 per lb. to sea fish, which sells for between shs. 2/50 and shs. 3/50 per lb. The former belongs to the daily diet, whilst the letter is regarded as a luxury item; this trend is spreading even to Mombasa.
Unless costs can be cut, there seems little hope of quickly increasing sales of sea fish in the Mombasa and Nairobi markets. If the earnings of that section of the population, which is used by tradition to including sea fish in its diet, increase, sales are likely to expand, even at present prices. This, however, is only going to happen following a general improvement of economic life on the coast.
In the interest of solving the marketing problems on the coast, proposals have been made to set up a Sea Fish Marketing Board to take over all marketing functions, from disposal at the beach to retail sales. The arguments put forward by Crutchfield in his 1958 report 9 in comment on a similar proposal are even more valid today they were at the time he advanced them. Prof. Crutchfield's thoughts on this point were as follows:
“The Marketing Organization would be involved immediately in heavy capital expenditures, either to duplicate some existing facilities or to take over the plants as they stand. The management of a fresh and frozen fish operation is a demanding and highly specialized task. It would be most difficult to recruit the proper kind of personnel, as government employees, except at a total cost out of all proportion to the size of the industry. It would appear highly desirable to try less drastic and expensive measures, which offer real hope of improvement, before considering this approach.”
The argument for the creation of a Board has been further weakened by some of the measures which have been taken since Crutchfield's visit. These include the following:
the Government's intention to directly participate in the exploitation of the fishery, through purchase of share capital in Lamu Fisheries Ltd.;
the start of fish-buying operations on a large scale in the Lamu area by Ameer's Fish Supply Ltd.;
the construction of the Malindi Fish Market and its successful operation by the Malindi Town Council;
the proposed construction of a wholesale fish market by the Mombasa Town Council;
the acceptance by the Government of proposals to increase the Fisheries Department, to give active advice and assistance to the fishermen along the entire coast-line.
9 Report on the Sea Fisheries of Kenya, op. cit.
In lieu of forming a Sea Fish Marketing Board, the Government might give consideration to the following measures:
Carrying out the following urgent improvements at the Malindi Wholesale Fish Market (providing direct financial assistance, perhaps, by including a specific allocation in the Fisheries Department's vote):
resurvey all electrical installations which are still causing constant trouble and expense (the wiring diagrams are poor, there is no cut-out mechanism in case of a power surge, motors have needed rewinding on three occasions at a cost of £100);
install a crusher for the existing block-ice machine;
repair the brine circulation pump and facilitate maintenance operations (at present, the pump is below ground level and can be reached only by a small hatch which will not admit a man);
install a flake-ice machine to increase the ice-making capacity and introduce this type of equipment on the coast (this type of machine was recommended originally by Crutchfield but was not installed; perhaps a machine can be obtained on a gift basis under a bilateral aid program);
carry out renovation and re-decoration work (no funds for these purposes exist and three years have already gone by since the Market was built);
take over the manager as Fisheries Development Officer on the Coast Establishment and pay his salary, to ease the financial burden so as to enable the Market to pay off the loan and to build up a renewal fund (he could continue to supervise the market operations but could also perform other useful functions, relating to market survey work, etc.);
create a market information service for the benefit of the fishermen, fish traders and the public, publish a list of prices realized at the previous day's auction in the daily copies of the Mombasa and Nairobi newspapers and on the radio. This would help to encourage entry of new buyers into the market, especially at times of excess supplies, and would also tend to prevent attempts to realize unreasonably large profits, as the public will be aware of the price range.
Granting both Lamu Fisheries Ltd., and Ameer's Fish Supply Ltd., licences to export fresh or chilled fish and crawfish and prawns from Lamu District for a five-year period, on condition of a review of the situation to be carried out at the end of the fourth year. The licences could lay down prices to be paid to the fishermen as well as other conditions that would have to be satisfied by the licensees.
Encouraging Lamu Fisheries Ltd., and Ameer's Fish Supply Ltd., to open up retail shops in Nairobi to attempt to bring down prices of sea fish and expand the market there.
Building holding facilities for iced fish at Ngemeni and Watamu and improve amenities at both locations to attract fishermen (at present, facilities are poor at both places; the expansion of the fishermen population would lead to increased fish sales through the Malindi Market;
At Shimoni, building at the landing an open shed constructed of permanent materials with concrete plinth (this would enable the fishermen to sort and sell their fish under hygienic conditions; only a simple structure is necessary, as the present value of catches does not warrant an expensive building; however, it should be planned in such a way that it can be expanded, if required, to meet an eventual increase in catch and to incorporate ice machinery and cold storage). As an immediate measure, the Government buildings which are presently rented to the fish-traders, and are used to store fish on ice, should be renovated (they are now almost derelict and are certainly unhygienic).
Attempting to introduce a number of active professional lake fishermen to sea fisheries by granting them poll tax exemption, etc. (such people would bring along new ideas and might stimulate the existing fishermen, who are extremely conservative, to adopt improved methods, etc.). The lake fishermen are used to retailing their own fish; they would create new markets and this might lead to an improvement in the price structure.
Considering a scheme to attract retired people from Europe and elsewhere, along the line of schemes similar to those introduced in Malta, Spain, Portugal, the West Indies, etc.; to promote a general expansion of the economy on the coast and create a larger ‘home’ market for sea fish (the healthy climate, beautiful scenery, game parks, sport fishing, and good bathing along the palm beaches; with ample electricity and plots served by piped water; cheap, attractive and well-built beach properties; 1,000 such settlers with a spending power of £1,500 a year each could boost income by £1.5 million per annum, a sum far greater than any realized from the cash crops, fish, etc. The whole coast area would benefit substantially in this manner, especially Malindi).
Fish processing firms and cold store operations, both on the coast and inland, should be licensed for the sale and processing of fish and shell-fish so that their operations can be controlled and regulated and, if necessary, limitations put on the number and size of such establishments. The coast has too many “in-out” operators who can disrupt the operations of those concerns which have made a substantial investment in capital equipment and have established well-run, hygienic factories. A fee could be charged for a licence, fixed at a level sufficiently high to dissuade the casual operator.
The inshore coastal fishery is at present very small and will not support the economic operation of more than two or three small freezing factories. A refusal to issue additional licences would not create monopoly conditions, as local sales of wet and dried fish along the whole coast are substantial enough to ensure that prices remain competitive. The situation with regard to the number of firms licensed could be reviewed, as catches reach certain specified ceilings, say 10,000 tons, 15,000 tons, 20,000 tons, etc. If necessary, new concerns could then be licensed, or existing concerns allowed to expand their activities. As a first step, all presently operating companies should be licensed at an early date so that a complete assessment of the existing situation can be made.
A detailed survey of catch disposal operations in both the sea and freshwater fisheries should be instituted as soon as staff are available; in conjunction, a survey of wholesale and retail sales at the coastal markets, including those at Mombasa and its environs, Lamu, Malindi, and all the coastal trading points, should be carried out. A check should be made, further, of the quantities of fish transported by road and rail to Nairobi and up-country. The survey of the expert was greatly handicapped by a complete lack of information on these points. The implementation of the proposals made elsewhere for increasing the field staff of the Department will assist in this work.
Legislation should be passed to make it compulsory for processors, marketers, and fishermen to provide information, on request of Fisheries Department staff, on the quantities and species of fish bought, processed and sold. At present, processors are not compelled to provide such information, and, except in one case, were not prepared to volunteer it in the course of the expert's survey. The records of the firms should also be open to inspection by Fisheries Department staff. Legislation passed by Uganda could be followed in this sphere.
It is necessary to repeat the recommendation made by Crutchfield that a site with berthing facilities should be reserved in the Mombasa/Port Reitz harbour area for a tuna processing industry. This should be done urgently, since, with the rapid development of industry in Mombasa, it may be difficult to obtain a suitable site if the matter is delayed much longer.
