- They have appealed to the Fisheries department and other relevant authorities to provide effective fishing gear to support them.
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The rising water levels in the lake that started last year has displaced thousands along its shores and destroyed property.
Image: HESBORN ETYANG
Turkana fishermen say the rising water levels that started last year have halted fishing and left their livelihoods in shambles.
They said the situation has prompted fish to move to deeper areas that they cannot access using their fishing gears.
Natirai Beach Management Unit chairman Samsom Loperito said that fishing activities have gone down following the surge of the lake.
Loperito said the swelling has disrupted the fishing and business sectors that boost Turkana county's economy.
“The surge started last year and, since then, fishermen are unable to catch enough fish for sale because fish have moved to the deeper side of the lake,” he said.
He said most of the fishermen don’t have quality fishing gear to enable them reach the deeper side where fish have moved.
“We don’t have quality boats and other fishing gear. We only afford raft boats and wooden boats and that’s why we cannot risk getting to the deeper side to fish,” he said.
He appealed to the Fisheries department and other relevant authorities to provide the required fishing gear to support them.
Peter Nachuchu, a fish dealer at Kalokol, said that the raging waters last year destroyed their fresh fish storage facilities.
He said the facilities had refrigerators, dry fish stores, beach management unit offices, boats and nets.
“In October last year, the water level in the lake surged to unprecedented levels submerging beaches, homes, hotels and government offices," he said.
"We thought the water level would go back to normal but it has not happened and it’s still displacing people.”
Nachuchu said fish dealers are counting heavy losses because they have nothing to sell as it takes too long for fishermen to catch fish at the swollen lake.
“It takes more than a month to fill a lorry with fish to be transported for export. Previously, we would take three to five days to fill a lorry," he said.
He said this has affected their transportation of fish to the Democratic Republic of Congo for sale.
"Dealers from the DRC are the main buyers of Turkana fish, though some are transported to Busia, Kisumu, Kitale and Nairobi," he said.
Nachuchu said they depend on handouts for survival.
He said the Turkana government should support the fishing sector by providing fishing gears and build new Beach Management Units office.
The rising water levels in Lake Turkana that started last year has displaced thousands along its shores and destroyed property.
Turkana government said the water has surged to unprecedented levels from 500 metres to 800 metres, submerging beaches, hotels, homes and government offices.
The county said at least 24,320 people living on the shores of Lake Turkana have been displaced.
Governor Josphat Nanok said the affected residents are in Kerio, Kangatotha, Kalokol and Lake Zone wards.
Residents, including fishermen and traders, have raised concern over the effects of the surge.
The situation has also exposed people to crocodiles and hippos, leading to human-wildlife conflict. There are also fears of waterborne disease outbreaks.
(edited by Amol Awuor)