Lamu, where 90kg fish can be caught

Since time immemorial, Lamu has been known for its tradition of fishing in the Indian Ocean.

It is the main bread-winning basket for locals and anyone growing up in the area can easily pick it as a career.

This is evident whenever one goes to Lamu as he or she can see the vessels, traditional and modern, that are used for fishing.

Recently, journalists watched a fishing competition that attracted more than 35 boats.

It showed that if the sector is seriously tapped into, it could be a game-changer for the livelihoods of people based on the catch the fishermen get.

The fishermen converged at the jetty at 2am to get into their vessels and off to the deep sea to catch fish. Governor Issa Timamy flagged off the competition.

The fishers then returned the following afternoon, and we saw a huge fish catch.

Fuad Sheyumbe, a boat owner whose vessel participated in the competition, said his boat, called Big Fish, has been participating in the game more than five times and won thrice.

"This competition had stalled for three years due to Covid, but this year it is back and really interesting," he said.

The main aim of the competition is to attract fishing investors, who after seeing the catch, see the potential of the ocean waters and hence come and invest.

ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY

In an interview, he said the fishing helps in addressing the challenge of food insecurity and gives a chance for visitors to see the expertise of Lamu fishermen.

This year, there were two types of fishing. The first category targets pelagic fish, and the second one targets demersal fish.

"Today, the pelagic fishing was perfect, but due to bad weather conditions, the demersal fish were not that good as the currents were very strong," Sheyumbe said.

He said most of the fish caught were tuna fish, ranging from 60 to 80kg.

The biggest catch of fish, he said, was 88kg, adding that he had high hopes of winning the competition. 

Ali Rashil Ali, one of the competitors, said they left the shores of the ocean at 2am and managed to get a huge catch of tuna fish.

"In my boat, we were three fishermen, and got a big fish weighing 88kg and a total of 480 kilos from seven fish," he said.

Ali said they went 35 miles deep into the sea and were using trawling method of fishing.

He called on the county and national governments to invest in bigger vessels to help the fishermen do modern fishing.

He said they need support to get cold storage facilities as currently, they have challenges whenever they bring their fish catch.

Most buyers, he said, are unable to buy more than two tonnes, which makes the fish go bad.

RESEARCH ON FISHING

Mohamed Mbwana, an expert in fishing, said in 2008 they did research on fishing to find out the pros and cons of the exercise.

They found out locals have been fishing for time immemorial but they are poor, unlike in other countries, where fishing is a lucrative venture with rich people in the sector.

"In other areas, people fish for a few months and make their living, but here, they fish day and night, and every month they are still very poor because fishing is manipulated by middlemen and brokers," he said.

He said local fishermen have not made it because of a lack of facilities for fishing.

To him, locals only do artisan fishing, and whenever they get small fish, they have no place to store them.

"The only person who can buy is a broker, maybe he has come from Mombasa, he has his truck with some ice, the guy will buy at the price he wants," he said.

Mbwana said other brokers are those who give fishermen an advance deposit and, because they are poor, they take the money to sustain the families as they go fishing.

MIDDLEMEN TO BLAME

Sadly again, he said, once the fishermen return with the fish, it is the same middleman or broker who will determine the price of the fish, which makes them to be poor every day.

The way to help them, he said, is to support them with modern fishing methods and technologies.

Already, they took some renowned consultants, such as Linda Greenlaw,  who are well versed with the industry.

They said there were enough fish that cannot be finished, but unless the local fishermen are empowered with modern fishing gear, it would be difficult for them to benefit from the ocean.

He said Lamu has the highest number of fish at what is called the Northern bank, adding that the Somali and Mozambique currencies meet somewhere in Kiunga, making it possible for them to fish throughout the year and get a catch.

In Lamu, a fisherman can get fish just 20 to 40 miles away from the shores and return with a big catch.

If Mbwana's advice gets the necessary support, then Lamu will enhance its status as a hub for fishing and create wealth for fishermen.

ISLAND OF FESTIVALS

In the just-concluded Lamu Cultural Festival, Governor Issa Timamy said his administration is committed to investing in key sectors in the region to help in transforming the lives of residents.

Timamy is the one who initiated the brand of Lamu as an island of festivals in his first time in 2013. When he lost in 2017, the concept died and Covid-19 also affected it, but he is reviving it after returning to power this year.

He said to bring it back, there will be a festival after every two months, adding that in his first year, there will be six festivals, which will all be promoted by the county government.

In January, he said there will be a hats festival in Shella Lamu, and urged people to come and see the festival. It will be followed by an art festival that will attract artistes from around the globe for three days.

Further, he said, there will also be a food festival. He requested the Lamu East MP, who is female, to be the patron and ensure all Lamu women come. There is also the Maulid festival marked by Muslims in remembrance of the birth of Prophet Muhammed.

The biggest advantage for the Lamu people and Coast region at large is that the Lamu Governor is the chairman of the Blue Economy in the Council of Governors, and the Cabinet Secretary for the Blue Economy also hails from the region.