An MP and a PS on Saturday clashed over the ongoing dredging in Kwale county’s Waa and Tiwi sea sand mining sites.
Mandera South MP Adan Haji said the dredging spearheaded by the Kenya Ports Authority is destructive and negatively affects food security.
“That is totally unacceptable because you cannot dredge sand deep in the ocean to go and do some other infrastructure project to the detriment of fishermen as well as the tourism sector,” Haji said.
But Fisheries PS Micheni Ntiba said the harvesting is being done under professional advice from experts.
“There is no harm in mining these resources so long as they are guided by scientific information. That is why we have Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute scientists who should do mapping of all critical areas in the sea,” the PS said.
The two were addressing the media at the Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach where celebrations for the World Oceans Day were held.
Haji, who is the National Assembly Agriculture and Fisheries Committee chair, said the dredging must stop as it is destroying corals and breeding grounds for fish.
Wavuvi Association of Kenya chairman Hamid Mohamed said the dredging has affected crab and prawn fishing at Port Reitz where the sand is being deposited.
“This rainy season the fishermen had hoped to get a big harvest but did not because of the dredging,” said Mohamed.
He said their breeding sites have been blocked by the sand being dumped there.
Two vessels waving Dutch and Chinese flags have since March been dredging the sand in the deep seas and dumping them near Port Reitz to reclaim the land for purposes of building berths.
The sand is used in the construction of the Sh40 billion Kipevu Oil Terminal under the Second Phase of the Mombasa Port Development Project.
Locals and tourism stakeholders have protested the activity saying there were no public participation forums conducted.
On Saturday, Haji said it is ironical for the government to talk about food security while destroying places where fish breed.
“Government projects, policies, and programs must be well coordinated,” he noted.
Ntiba said Kemfri must map the entire sea to identify critical habitats where fish breed and feed.
“So that if we want to harvest or mine, Kemfri should be able to direct us where to mine with proper Environmental Impact Assessment,” he said.
