- Fish traders now wants the government to lessen the regulations and allow fishermen to continue fishing.
- Mbwana said it has become almost impossible to feed and raise school fees because of the harassment.
Image: SHABAN OMAR
Kwale fishermen in the Lunga-Lunga subcounty have decried increased harassment by coast guard officers.
The fishermen alleged the security agencies usually arrest them for no reason.
Led by Hassan Mbwana, they said they are struggling to make ends meet since their only source of livelihood is interfered with.
Mbwana said they hardly participate in fishing activities due to intensified security patrols.
"We get nothing, every day we live on the run because security officers are after us," he said.
Mbwana said the laws imposed to regulate fishing activities are harsh and affect their daily lives.
He said many residents are unable to seek an alternative source of income since they highly depend on fishing.
Mbwana said it has become almost impossible to feed and raise school fees because of the harassment.
He said they can't afford money for better healthcare and most of the time they are forced to have one meal.
"If you spend several days without fishing it means no food or money to take home," he said.
Omar Ali, another fisherman said some of them have complied with the new fishing rules, but they still get arrested.
Ali said a number of fishermen are contemplating quitting the business.
However, he said economic constraints cannot allow them to look for alternatives within a short time.
"There are those who opted to do farming, but it takes a while for crops to mature and harvest," he said.
Ali said they are worried that the fishing industry will die and affect many residents who depend on the sector.
Fish trader Fatuma Mwamtoa said it's hard to continue with her business because of the harassment of fishermen, who are their suppliers.
Mwamtoa now wants the government to ease the regulations and allow fishermen to continue fishing.
However, Coast region senior Kenya Wildlife Service assistant director Samuel Tokore has denied all the allegations saying the officers are only enforcing a ban on illegal fishing gear and protecting the coastline boundary.
"The officers are patrolling to protect the marine lives and the conserved zones," he said.
The government had earlier banned illegal fishing nets and equipment that harm fingerlings from maturing.
Tokore urged the fishermen to comply with the fishing rules and protect the marine life and conserved areas.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)