We need maritime strategies that encourage trade in Africa

Kenya's Permanent Secretary for Merchant Marine and Maritime Affairs, Nancy Karigithu, spoke with Fred Oluoch about the use of marine resources in the region.

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According to the Nairobi conference, it is clear that the development of the blue economy requires global cooperation. How can East Africa make sure that it is not left behind?

East African countries have no choice but to join the new trend, as 90% of the region's international trade is by sea, especially through ports. of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam.

The maritime industry is an all-inclusive sector because it is the different sectors of the blue economy that are developing our national economies.

The effectiveness of international trade affects the gross domestic product of the region and is at the heart of the socio-economic fabric.

What is the current situation of the blue economy in the region in terms of resource potential and infrastructure for its exploitation and security?

We are fortunate to have an abundance of water bodies whose potential has not been optimized.

We still needed to improve shipping and fishing infrastructure, as well as logistics, because there are areas that could create thousands of jobs for young people, who make up the majority of the population.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea makes no distinction between land-based and landlocked countries. East Africa must adopt a state of mind of the blue economy that will allow us to optimally utilize all water plans including water. ocean, lakes, navigable waters. rivers and even dams.

Although on the eastern seaboard with lakes and rivers, shipping is almost non-existent, with some ships in ruins prone to accidents. What can be done to ensure the safety of shipping, especially on Lake Victoria?

Maritime safety and security is at the heart of a blue economy.

We can not talk about the blue economy until we have the necessary structures in place to ensure that our maritime transport is safe for pbadengers and for the conservation of the marine environment.

We are talking about the establishment of institutional marine structures to ensure that before the ships go down into the waters, there is enough capacity on the mainland to inspect them, to make sure that the people who the equips are trained to international standards and that they have the capacity for a quick rescue in case of accident.

This will require enormous resources and that is why we are asking for the participation of the private sector.

How are East African countries dealing with the pollution of water bodies from plastic bags, oil spills, rich farmers and industrialists?

If you remember, one of the main elements of this conference was that big cities had to incorporate policies and structures and be able to manage the waste and the rich waste that poured into the oceans.

In Kenya, we worked closely with county governors to reduce the number of tributaries found in their counties' water bodies.

For shared international waters, we have international conventions to ensure that waste is not dumped into the oceans and seas, whether it is a plastic spill or an oil spill. in case of accident of navigation.

If oil spills occur after an accident, we should be able to clean as quickly as possible. Contingency plans for oil spills are at the national, regional and international levels, where countries can call for external badistance when needed.

Kenya is developing the integrated national maritime policy. How can it be regionalised as it relates to shared marine resources?

Everything we do in Kenya in terms of policy depends on existing practices at the regional and continental levels.

This is where the African Union comes in because it is well articulated at the continental level.

If you look at the Integrated Maritime Strategy for Africa, the African Maritime Charter, Agenda 2063, all of them are looking at encouraging African states to adopt the spirit of the blue economy – proposing navigation lines, strategies that address marine safety and security

We want to develop a single region because that is the only way we can benefit from it. For example, the free trade zone of mainland Africa can only work if we focus on the blue economy and improve the maritime sector.

Otherwise, we will continue to look for business partners in the West and East, while our marine sector will continue to be controlled by foreign transportation companies.

The trick is to develop our maritime strategies in order to be able to trade more and reduce currency outflows.

Women are poorly represented in the maritime sector on the continent. What can be done to ensure that they are an integral part of a value chain and not just those who receive the finished products?

Women represent only 2% of the world's maritime labor force, where they occupy the lowest and least profitable level.

Because of its history, the maritime sector has not invested in women, let alone in the decision-making process.

But these are just some of the issues we're looking at, and if you're talking about sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, you can not ignore gender parity.

The international maritime community is aware of this, and the problems considered by men to be simple have now been considered, such as the introduction of health control systems on board ships and the possibility of sleeping separately.

But once the new law, the Maritime Labor Convention 2006, is fully implemented, shipowners will be forced to create an environment that will encourage young women to pursue maritime professions and protect them from badual harbadment and violence on board. ships.