Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui has ordered all Chinese nationals involved in fishing activities in Lake Naivasha to stop with immediate effect.
The Governor termed the exercise illegal and added that local should
be given the first priority.
This followed complaints that the foreigners were behind a decline in fish catches due to the use of under-size nets.
The foreign investors were licensed to harvest Crayfish by the previous county government three years ago but have since exhausted the stock and are now targeting other species.
Kinyanjui wondered why they were allowed to fish in the lake at the expense of tens of jobless youths.
“No Kenyan can be licensed to fish in China so we will not allow these foreigners to continue fishing in Lake Naivasha as has been the norm,” he said.
He spoke at Kamere beach in Naivasha
on Tuesday while leading the county in marking World Environmental Day.
Kinyanjui reported that his government had set aside funds to rehabilitate the landing beach which employs tens of families directly and indirectly.
“Over 30 tonnes of waste material, mainly plastic, were recovered from Lake Naivasha during the clean-up exercise. We are worried about increased dumping,” he said.
He identified Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret highway as one of the areas adversely affected by the dumping of plastic waste, mainly by motorists.
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Nakuru Minority Leader
Peter Pallang'a termed the Chinese fishermen the biggest threat to the lake which also has water hyacinth and is polluted.
He said the undersize nets sweep all kinds of fish including fingerlings, thereby affecting numbers.
“One dangerous investor is wiping out the Crayfish in the lake and is now targeting the other species. We shall not sit back and watch as this happens,” said the Olkaria MCA.
Pallang’a called for investigations into how the foreigners were allowed to fish in the lake by the former regime.
The sentiments were echoed by Lakeview MCA Karanja Mburu who reiterated that the Chinese were benefiting more than locals.
“We are fully behind the county government as it embarks on reopening all blocked corridors leading to the lake,” he said.