Monday, June 22, 2026 - Kenya and the United States have reached a groundbreaking agreement to impose visa restrictions on foreign nationals linked to illegal fishing operations worldwide.
The deal that was sealed during the 11th Our
Ocean Conference (OOC11) held in Mombasa from June 16th to 18th
aims to protect marine resources from exploitation.
According to the U.S. Department of State, this marks the
first time Washington has used visa restrictions to specifically target
individuals involved in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
“The United States also highlighted the first-ever use of
visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals who are responsible for,
complicit in, facilitating, or benefiting from IUU fishing and IUU
fishing-related activities,” the Department stated.
The agreement includes a Ksh 12.4 billion (USD96 million)
maritime security package, with more than half directed at countering IUU
fishing across major ocean basins.
Countries expected to be affected include China, Russia, Iran and Indonesia, all flagged for deploying
illegal fleets.
Others under scrutiny include Panama, Libya, Comoros,
Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Ghana, Tanzania, Italy and Spain.
IUU fishing involves vessels operating without licences,
exploiting protected zones, using banned gear and concealing catches.
The “unreported” aspect undermines regulators by
misrepresenting species, volumes, and locations, while “unregulated” fishing
often occurs in international waters beyond oversight.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, tens
of billions of dollars are lost annually to IUU fishing.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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