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Under the current assistance provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to Kenya, a legal review was carried out from 21 to 25 August 2023.

The legal review was one of the necessary follow-up activities identified in Kenya’s National Strategy and Roadmap, developed in 2022, to effectively implement the provisions of the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) and complementary instruments and regional mechanisms to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

During this mission, FAO and Kenya Fisheries Services met with key institutions including the Fish Levy Trust Fund, Kenya Wildlife Services, the Attorney General Office, Kenya Revenue Authority, the State Department for Trade, Kenya Fish Marketing Authority, Kenya Port Authority, Kenya Maritime Authority, Kenya Coast Guard Services, and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. This allowed the team to gain a better understanding of their respective legal frameworks and mandates when it comes to fisheries, as well as their roles related to the implementation of port State measures and respective obligations to implement complementary international instruments and regional mechanisms to combat IUU fishing, which will be the basis of the legal work in Kenya moving forward.

This mission in Kenya was possible as a result of the capacity development “Port State Measures Support Project” (GCP/GLO/1047/GER) funded by Germany, which supports capacity development initiatives in developing States to assist them to be in a better position to implement international instruments to combat IUU fishing, including through the provisions of the PSMA.