The department of fisheries in Homa Bay has stepped up efforts to eradicate illegal fishing in an effort to promote fish production and preserve the different fish species in the lake.
Through Kenya Fisheries Services (KFS), the department Thursday confiscated nets of worth Sh 6million in Suba North Sub County before destroying them in an operation that is meant to end illegal fishing gear across the county.
This is however the second crackdown undertaken by the department in collaboration with the county security teams after the first operation that saw the destruction of the illegal nets worth Sh 4 million.
The Director of Fisheries George Okoth noted that the fishing nets are for fishing omena species and that using them to fish other fish species will deplete supply in the lake as they trap juvenile fish leading to decline in the production of fish.
He asserted that it is for this reason that the county and the country at large faces regular decline in fish supply.
“The kind of nets that were confiscated were used wrongly. They are supposed to be used to fish omena but the fishermen have strategically casted them on the shores of Lake Victoria trapping young fish and destroying the breeding sites of fish,” he said.
The nets were confiscated from Lwanda Nyamasare, Mirunda, Lero and Kisaka in the Sub County which are the breeding areas of fish.
On the other hand, George Omondi, Assistant Director State Department for Fisheries South Nyanza region accused the Beach Management Units (BMU) for promoting illegal fishing by way of accepting bribery from illegal fishermen and allowing them to conduct illegal fishing along the lake.
“The BMUs have an important role to play in the sustainable development of the sector, not criminal networks that are collecting money from illegal fishers and using that opportunity to promote lawlessness and impunity in the lake,” he said.
Fishing being at the heart of the blue economy in the country, he said, the sector has a role to play in the economic development of the people, he added.
He said that the county BMU networks must always uphold the rule of law pertaining to fishing instead of promoting lawlessness in the lake.
“The rule of law must suffice going forward and we will be keen in ensuring this sector abides by it,” he said.
Both officials urged the fishermen to engage in responsible fishing by using the right gear which is acceptable by the law to protect the lake and improve fish production.
By Sitna Omar
