Fishermen in Lake Naivasha are counting losses running into thousands of shillings from theft and destruction of their nets by illegal fishermen.
The fishermen have pointed an accusing finger at the Kenya Coast Guards Service for the current crisis, with fish catch dropping by more than 50 per cent in the last two months.
The new changes came as irate fishermen blocked the busy Moi South Lake Road for more than an hour to protest the rising cases of fish theft and vandalism of their nets by the illegal fishermen.
Naivasha deputy county commissioner Mutua Kisilu said all was not well in the lake as the illegal fishermen have embarked on massive harvesting of fishing, even on breeding zones.
He said the problem started two months ago when senior officers attached to the security unit were transferred after the fatal shooting of a fish trader.
“The issue is being addressed and we expect more officers in the lake in the coming week so as to address the runway cases of illegal fishing,” he said.
On his part, the chairman Kamere Landing Beach Wesley Kimutai said legal fishermen were incurring losses running into thousands of shillings everyday due to theft of their nets.
He accused some officers from coast guards of working with the illegal fishermen.
“We decided to take to the streets to protest the rising cases of theft of our nets and the fish by the illegal fishermen who are well known,” he said.
According to Lake Naivasha Network group secretary Grace Nyambura, the livelihoods of tens of legal fishermen and traders was at risk due to the current threat.
Nyambura asked the KCGS director general to intervene and increase the current number of officers before the fisheries sector totally collapsed.
“The illegal fishermen are back in the lake after the changes made by the coast guards and fish catch is now at the lowest levels ever,” she said.
She also asked the marking of the breeding grounds to avoid unnecessary arrest of licensed fishermen, adding that currently the lake was in the hands of the poachers.
“We have seen a resurgence in cases of hippo attacks and drowning involving the illegal fishermen in the past couple of weeks,” she said.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
