Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute convened stakeholders at Royal Court Hotel in Mombasa (July 16–18, 2025) to discuss findings from a pilot program integrating Electronic Monitoring (EM) systems on Kenya-flagged fishing vessels.

Dr. Kimani highlighted limitations of traditional observer programs, noting that "Human observer data covers only about 5% of fishing trips compared to EM, which can achieve nearly 80% coverage." Video review capabilities enable more accurate species identification than human observers alone.

The pilot equipped four vessels with monitoring systems employing satellite tracking, cameras, acoustic sensors, and environmental measurement tools. Video data documents species identification, catch size, handling practices, and bycatch status.

Electronic monitoring validates logbook entries by identifying discrepancies. Kenya is becoming Africa's second nation implementing such programs, collecting oceanographic data alongside fishing activity records.

Authors: Dr Kimani, Brian Isoe & Eugene Kasuku