NAIROBI
Kenya's President commissioned the country's first ocean research sea vessel on Monday. The 56 metre long vessel, christened Mtafiti, which is Kiswahili for researcher, is expected to undertake extensive physical, chemical, geological, biological and oceanography research.
The offshore vessel – which East African marine experts believe is the largest of its kind in the region – was donated by the Flanders Marine Institute for Scientific Research in Belgium, for fisheries research and the conservation of marine life in the Indian Ocean.
Speaking during the commissioning, President Kenyatta said the vessel will improve the East African nation’s capacity to safeguard its marine resources against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
“Our lack of an offshore research vessel for oceanographic study has been a major obstacle,” Kenyatta said. “Similarly, our monitoring, control and surveillance of these fisheries would now be improved by the offshore patrol vessel.”
Kenyatta said a lack of deep-sea fishing capacities mean local fishermen had been confined to near shore coastal waters, leaving the marine's exclusive economic zone to be explored by other nations.
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