- Fish mongers and residents in the region are blaming police for torching 12 tones of dry fish worth over Sh5 million that was shipped in from Somalia
@ppcheti
Lamu is facing a shortage of dry fish, a local delicacy commonly referred to in Swahili as papa.
Fish, mostly dry, is a common accompaniment to daily meal plans in many Swahili and Bajuni households in Lamu.
Fishmongers are blaming the situation on the police for their recent torching of 12 tonnes of dry fish worth over Sh5 million. Authorities claimed the fish was smuggled from Somalia in April.
The 761 bags of dry fish were impounded by a multi-agency security team shortly after it arrived at the Mokowe jetty in Lamu West from Mogadishu and Kismayu in Somalia. It arrived through the Kiunga border point in Lamu.
The burning of the consignment angered many fishermen who reportedly quit the venture.
The Lamu-Somalia border has been closed since June last year owing to security concerns and also to stop illegal trade including that of drugs.
As such, any business transactions between Lamu and Somalia have been declared illegal until further notice.
Major fishing destinations in the region like Kiunga, Faza, Kizingitini, Kipungani, Matondoni, Mkokoni and Kiwayu have been forced to close.
The fishing sector is among the region’s major income earners alongside tourism, trade and agriculture.
The dusk to dawn curfew also means fishermen can no longer go fishing at night when it’s more productive.
Lamu has over 6,000 fishermen and at least 1,000 lobster divers.
Fish generally sells in the region, but both residents and fishermen agree that dry fish sold more and could last longer.
The dry fish is also slightly expensive hence earning fishermen and households a reliable income.
“There will always be fish on the table at mealtime but most certainly, it will be dry fish. But right now it’s been weeks and there is not a single dry fish shop in operation. All have closed for lack of supply,” resident Omar Mzee said.
Renowned fisherman Mohamed Ali wondered why the government wouldn't want them to buy dry fish from Somalia yet other food products were being transported in and out of the country.
He said Lamu and Somalia’s trade relationship goes way back and stopping it now for whatever reason was hurting livelihoods.
"I can confidently tell you that there is no dry fish in Lamu as we speak. All the outlets have closed down. Things have never been the same since the government destroyed the 12 tonnes of dry fish. How many livelihoods did they destroy just like that? Many people got scared and quit,” Ali said.
The heavy rains in the region are also believed to be partly responsible for the dry fish shortage.
Lamu fisherman Abubakar Twalib said the current season is characterised by lots of strong waves and deadly tides on the Indian Ocean, a situation that means fishermen venture into the sea.
The rains also make it impossible for the fish to be effectively dried whenever available. Fishermen are however hopeful that the situation will normalise once the dry season sets in.
“The ocean right now is so rough making it hard to go fishing. We stay back until it's favourable,” Twalib said.
Edited by P.O