Kenya and the United States have agreed to restrict visas for individuals linked to illegal fishing operations worldwide.
The deal was sealed at the 11th Our Ocean Conference, held in Mombasa from June 16‑18.
This is the first instance where the U.S. has imposed visa limits specifically targeting people involved in IUU fishing, according to the State Department.
The United States highlighted that these are the first-ever visa restrictions targeting individuals responsible for, complicit in, facilitating, or benefiting from IUU fishing.
The pact includes a maritime security commitment of Ksh12.4 billion (US$96 million) aimed at strengthening ocean protection and encouraging responsible fishing worldwide.
More than half of that figureover Ksh6.7 billion (USD2 million)will focus on countering IUU fishing across every major ocean basin affected by the crisis.
The visa bans could target nations known for operating illegal fishing fleets beyond their own waters, impacting ecosystems worldwide.
These countries are significant trade allies of Kenya, so the cooperation may influence current diplomatic positions and future agreements.
The list also names Panama, Libya, and Comoros, all of which have been scrutinized for registries that hide rogue vessels from accountability.
Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, and Spain have been cited in global reports for breaching ocean rules, raising alarms among conservation groups.
IUU fishing is prohibited because vessels operate without valid permits, harvest in protected zones, use forbidden gear and deliberately conceal catches.
The unreported component is especially damaging; fishers falsify catch details, making sustainable management impossible.
Unregulated fishing exacerbates the issue; ships fly flags of convenience or function in international waters beyond regulatory reach.
Consequences are dire: overfishing eliminates species, hikes food prices, and deprives coastal communities of vital livelihoods and nutrition.
The FAO warns that tens of billions of dollars are lost each year to IUU fishing, a loss that the Kenya‑U.S. agreement aims to mitigate.