Hundreds of Lamu fishermen on Tuesday took to the beaches of Faza island to protest against arrests and harassment by security agencies over the use of illegal nets.
They use monofilament nets and beach seine in the Indian Ocean and want the law forbidding them amended.
For the better part of the day, business on the island was disrupted as the fishermen marched chanting and demanding to be allowed the nets as they have done so for decades.
The government, through the concerned agencies, has cracked down on monofilament nets and beach seine as they are considered an extremely destructive fishing technology. The fishermen net a large by-catch of fish, sharks, turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals.
They are also known to destroy fish breeding sites and deplete stocks and generally have devastating effects on marine life and the environment.
Early this year, the Ministry of Agriculture called for a total ban on the importation of monofilament nets, mostly from Asia, terming them the greatest threat to the fishing industry.
Hundreds of fishermen across the coastal region have been arrested and prosecuted for using the outlawed gear and hundreds of such nets and boats confiscated.
The protestors demanded the amendment or repeal of the law forbidding them from using the nets, saying they cannot afford the recommended costly gear.
Fishing is a major income generator for Lamu county, with over 80 per cent of residents directly depending on the sector as a source of livelihoods.
Lamu Fisher-Groups Association chairperson Mohamed Ali said the law had increased poverty as some of them have had to quit fishing since the crackdown began.
“We feel harassed and mistreated for nothing. We have used these nets for decades, but now they arrest us and say it's illegal. We want this law done away with so that we can’t continue to pursue our livelihood in fishing,” Ali said.
The fishermen accused the government of employing double standards by allowing foreign trawlers to fish in the Indian Ocean while arresting local fishermen for using monofilament nets.
Lamu Beach Management Unit chairperson Mohamed Somo said trawling destroys fishing grounds 10 times more than monofilament nets ever do, yet nothing is done about it.
He revealed that 90 per cent of fishermen in the county use monofilament nets and beach seine.
A full set of monofilament net goes for Sh300,000-400,000 in Lamu and Mombasa, while beach seine goes for Sh200,000-250,000.
