• Official says fishermen and dealers are owed huge debts by tourism resorts that have since lost business following the cancellation of international flights.
• Fishing boat captain asks why products like miraa were allowed to be sold while fishermen are not allowed to go fishing.
Fishermen in Kilifi county have decried a major drop in business following the government’s directives to contain the spread of coronavirus.
They say prices of fish have gone down by over 70 per cent since coronavirus was first reported in the country.
Those who sell fish and lobsters to Chinese said a kilo of lobster has gone down from Sh4,500 to Sh450 making it difficult for them to survive.
Malindi’s Shella Beach Management Unit vice chairperson Nurein Omar said there is currently no market for fish products since hotels - the biggest market - are closed.
He said fishermen and dealers are owed huge debts by tourism resorts that have since lost business following the cancellation of international flights.
The debts, Omar said, run into millions of shillings but that they have come up with a plan to be paid in bits. ''For example, if one has a debt of Sh900,000 he is told to pay Sh300,000 in three instalments.”
Normally, fishermen can catch up to 40,000 tonnes of fish per month, Omar said, “but now they are making utmost Sh15,000 from their catch”.
He said over 65 per cent of fishermen have travelled to Pemba in Tanzania since the virus broke out.
Abdalla Ali Vae told the Star that since his childhood, his only source of livelihood was fishing but due to the outbreak of Covid-19, life has become unbearable. He is registered with BMU Malindi.
Currently, he said they depend on Chinese suppliers who buy fish products at a throwaway price.
''Now the economy is bad we cannot go fishing at night which is the best time to catch fish because at 7pm we are told to get inside our houses,'' he said.
Previously, Vae said a fisherman could get up to Sh2,500 daily “but now making even Sh200 is difficult”.
Gumba Ali, a fishmonger from Kijiwetanga, said they have been facing harassment at the ocean when they go to buy fish.
At their home, she said, it has been difficult to sell the fish at night since the curfew was imposed by the government.
''We want the government to protect us, even the fishermen are attacked,'' the mother of five said.
Ali said she normally sells fish from 7pm but due to the curfew, it has been difficult to do business.
Last week, she said, police destroyed all her fish during a raid at a palm wine den in Kijiwetanga.
Fishing boat captain Erick Mwamuye said the government needs to come up with incentives to support fishermen during this period.
He said business has gone down since the virus hit the county and after the government imposed a curfew.
''If you get fish and return late from fishing you end up losing everything as security personnel will deal with you for defying the government directives,'' he said.
Mwamuye asked why products like miraa were allowed to be sold while fishermen are not allowed to go fishing.
He appealed to the government to allow them to continue with their work “lest people starve to death”.
Edited by R.Wamochie
