Kisumu County environmental experts are looking for ways of salvaging the fish population emanating from deaths due to water pollution in Lake Victoria.
Through a conference dubbed ‘Blue Economy Conference, the participants have agreed to sensitize locals on ways of preventing pollution in Lake Victoria.
Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr. Mathews Owili termed the conference as very vital in unlocking the potential of the Blue Economy, which is a priority of the County Government that he said will unlock the potential of the blue Economy especially within the lake region.
Owili who spoke during the conference, which was convened by the Kenya Marine rallied the need to ascertain a clean environment that will be conducive for aquatic life.
“Largely what we are trying to do is to ensure that the lake ecosystem is devoid of pollution, especially because as you will be told largely the fish die because of pollution and lack of oxygen within the lake,” he noted.
Owili further pointed out that the County Government will hold a meeting with Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori County Governments on responsible waste disposal.
The chairman of Kenya Marine John Safari on his part decried plastic pollution disclosing that plans have now been mooted to end the menace and ensuring the lake is not polluted.
“Research shows that in the year 2050 there will be more plastics in the ocean and water bodies than fish we are approximating about 900000 metric tonnes of plastic as compared to 850000 metric tonnes at the moment, so what we are doing as a research institution is to try and find ways of trying to minimize plastic in the water bodies in the ocean and lakes,” pointed out Safari.
He noted that they have come up with an innovative app known as Lake Happen, where officials are able to know which region there are plastic waste and how it can be collected.
By Milton Onyango
