The RV Mtafiti (Plate 2.5) was formerly the Flemish Government’s oceanographic research vessel RV Zeeleeuw, and was officially handed over to the Government of Kenya on 3 May 2013. The donation of the vessel fell within a collaboration between Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and KMFRI. The two institutes signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for bilateral collaboration in the field of marine sciences on 19th October 2012. RV Mtafiti was navigated from Oostend, Belgium to efforts to develop the research infrastructure required through support from the government and collaborating institutions. The introduction of RV Mtafiti in the Indian Ocean has come in with a lot of opportunities as well as challenges. The regional partners have expressed a lot of optimism on implementing a number of regional survey initiatives including the ongoing International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2) and other activities aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The platform is also now adequately equipped to train marine scientists in the region. On the other hand, thresholds for marine scientists remain a big challenge as various skills are under represented both in absolute numbers and gender balance. In Kenya fresh knowledge is now emerging on the ecology and resource potential of our EEZ with important implications for support to the Blue Economy initiative. It is in this perspective that RV Mtafiti continues to play a central role in the management of our ocean’s natural resources nationally in Kenya and regionally in the Indian Ocean. |
