•Governor says some fishermen do not have life jackets.
•Their canoes only allow them to fish in shallow waters, catching less fish.
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has asked the government to address risks faced by fishermen at their places of work.
He said fishermen go on fishing expeditions without lifesavers and in boats considered unsafe in high waters.
“It is the work of the government to ensure it has improved your lives and ensure you live comfortably,” Mutua said told fishermen in Mombasa. He was on a tour at the Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach on Thursday.
He spoke after fishing with them. During the tour, the governor said many do not have life jackets which are essential in case of emergencies at sea.
The canoe in which the governor boarded for the tour was leaking.
“I realised even the canoe I was in was leaking, the young man told me he had no money to repair the boat so I had to make sure I tightened my life jacket. I could foresee us starting to swim,” he said.
Speaking to the Star, Beach Management Unit chairperson Mercy Mghanga said indeed the fishermen are in need of the government's help especially in getting modern boats.
These boats will guarantee them safety and also ensure they search for more fish in the deep sea.
Mghanga mentioned that many of the fishermen go as far as four miles while others can only reach two, therefore missing on a lot of catch deeper into the sea.
This challenge is brought by lack of modern boats to reach these far areas.
“The law it says a fisherman should go as far as 300 nautical miles because we are supposed to reach the inclusive economic zone to get pelagic fish for more business,” Mghanga said.
She said a very small number of fishermen who have modern boats can go as far as only 40 nautical miles.
Mghanga said although they have cries to be provided with this equipment, training should be a priority for the fishermen.
“They need to be trained on modern fishing. You can give them the equipment but if they do not know how to use them, it will be meaningless,” the chairperson said.
She said many of the fishermen are illiterate therefore the training will boost their skills for fishing to increase their produce and improve their business.
“In the past fishing used to be a hobby but now it is a business."
(Edited by R.Wamochie)