This archive report was first published on 7 January 2020.
January 7, 2020, marked a concerning day for Nyali fishermen and boat makers, as they grappled with the reality of dwindling fish stock and hard wood for building boats.
Alidi Omari, a 50-year-old boat builder, has spent three decades in the trade. He attributes the decline in business to the scarcity of hard wood, particularly from the cedar tree, which is essential for building boats.
"Fishing has been the major source of food for local communities along the coast, yet declining wood for building the boats and reducing fish stock worries fishermen," says Mr. Omari.
Dr. David Obura, a marine expert and director of the Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO), points to global warming, pollution, over-fishing, and greenhouse gas emissions as the causes of the depletion of corals in the ocean.
"Declining health in Kenya's marine resources is evident in traditional small-scale fisheries, the growth in commercial fisheries, conflicts among fisher groups, and in the increased use of gears such as ring nets," he notes.
Mr. Omari's livelihood is now endangered due to the lack of hard wood, which has led to a significant decrease in the number of boats he builds. From building up to 30 boats in a year, he now manages only three.
Kenya earns around $2.5 billion yearly from its ocean, which is less than 4 percent of its GDP. However, the sector has huge potential, which can only be attained if practices that damage the environment and hurt marine ecosystem are dealt with.
