A conservationist has urged the government to lift the mangrove logging ban.
The government in February lifted the ban in Lamu after numerous complaints from 30,000 families whose livelihoods depend on mangrove.
The ban, however, remains in place in other parts of the country, where mangroves are found – mostly in Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Tana River.
On Monday, Coast Forest Conservation Committee chairman Herbert Mwachiro said there are genuine people who know how to harvest the trees. Their harvesting technique helps in the regeneration of the trees, he said.
Speaking to the Star on the phone, Mwachiro said mangrove harvesting is a business which, if done properly, will protect the trees.
“There is a way to cultivate a mangrove tree so that it does not die. Those who legitimately do the business know this,” Mwachiro said.
Mangroves are found along the Coastline, with Lamu leading in the number of the trees.
Sixty-one per cent of all the mangrove trees in the country are found in Lamu.
“My emphasis is to allow it [harvesting] so that those who are doing genuine business, and they know how to cultivate and work on the regeneration of the mangroves can be allowed to,” Mwachiro said.
The government is still fighting those who are harvesting mangrove illegally and Mwachiro said they are fine with that.
“Those who cut mangroves illegally should be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
However, he said, there would be faster growth of tree cover if legitimate harvesters were allowed to do the harvesting.
On Saturday, Mwachiro joined Environment and Forestry CS Keriako Tobiko in a tree planting drive at Big Ship Conservation site in Jomvu constituency, Mombasa.
President Uhuru Kenyatta last year directed that relevant ministries ensure that the 10 per cent forest cover in the country is achieved by 2022.
Mwachiro said that for this to happen, the government must empower the Kenya Forest Service by allocating resources.
“They require more resources to protect indigenous and mangrove forests,” the conservationist said.
Protecting the mangrove forests, Mwachiro said, will enable the state to reap from the socio-economic benefits of the trees.
Mangroves are known to be breeding sites for fish apart from protecting shorelines from damaging storms and hurricanes, waves, and floods.
The trees also help prevent erosion by stabilising sediments with their tangled root systems.
They maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments originating from land.
On Monday, Mwachiro said they have made recommendations in relation to the conservation and utilisation of forests at the Coast.
He said they are concerned about socio-economic issues affecting the coastal communities.
“The harvesting ban and movement of charcoal has a negative effect,” Mwachiro said.
He urged the government to post more rangers following the region’s doubled up responsibilities of protecting the forests and the provision of general security.
“The government should provide more serviceable vehicles to enhance the patrol due to the region’s vastness to be able to achieve more,” the conservationist said.
On Saturday, Tobiko said the government is working on a waste management recovery programme with the Mombasa government.
He said the government is also working with the county government on a regeneration initiative after the decommissioning and restoring of Kibarani dumpsite.
“The restored dumpsite has changed the image of Mombasa,” he said.
Edited by A. Ndung'u
