Conservationists in Lamu have asked the county government to bring in experts to help harvest the water hyacinth on Lake Kenyatta for value addition.
The hyacinth is known for its stubborn growth and massive coverage of the lake, making it impossible for any activities to take place on the lake which is situated in Mpeketoni, Lamu West.
The situation is also a threat to marine life within the lake, the biggest and only freshwater lake in the county.
Fishermen on Lake Kenyatta have had it tough fishing on the lake owing to the massive thickness of the hyacinth which has covered over three-quarters of the lake.
The hyacinth is also blamed for the reduced number of fish in the lake as its presence interferes with effective fish breeding and that of other marine life.
The few remaining fish have it tough and end up dead due to the lack of fresh breathing air.
It is in light of this situation that conservationists have joined forces with the lake management, fishermen and locals to call for value addition of the hyacinth.
According to the chairperson of the Lake Kenyatta Water Users Association-LAKWUA, Benson Kariuki said the hyacinth could be harvested to make fertiliser, livestock feeds, and mats among other things.
He said harvesting the hyacinth from the lake would also largely help conserve the lake and the marine life while at the same time, dealing with climate change.
“Let the government bring in experts to help us make use of this hyacinth and I know with value addition, there is a lot that we stand to benefit from it. As a community we are willing to be enlightened on the same,” said Kariuki.
The Lake Kenyatta Fishermen Association chairperson Samuel Musyoka noted that harvesting the hyacinth and employing value addition would be a sure way to eradicate the notorious weed from the lake.
He said the presence of the hyacinth on the lake was largely responsible for the disappearance of over five fish species from the lake in recent times.
The fish species include the Eel locally known as Mkunga, the Marmayrus locally known as Ngorongoro, Nylon locally known as Labeo, and Milkfish locally known as Mborode can no longer be found in the lake.
Also missing is the Alestes locally known as Mchokole and Synodontis locally known as Sire.
Musyoka said the fish began going extinct in early 2017 to date.
In the same year, conservationists in the region went into a panic after the lake dried up completely following a prolonged drought.
The situation subsequently destroyed the lake’s ecosystem and marine life.
It equally rendered fishermen jobless following the decline of the fish population in the lake.
However, the return of the water volumes at the lake in the following years resulted in the uncontrolled growth of hyacinths on the lake.
“The hyacinth has become a nuisance. There is no longer fish here. Fishermen can’t navigate the lake either. We would appreciate experts to come and help us with value addition so that we harvest it and put it to good use,” said Musyoka.
Only the Tilapia, Catfish and mudfish can be found at the lake.
Lamu County Senior Fisheries Officer and Fishing Expert Simon Komu said the biggest culprit behind the overgrowth of the water hyacinth on the lake was due to intense human activity within and around it.
He said farming activities and the use of fertiliser were the perfect environment for hyacinths to thrive.
He said livestock farming, overfishing and deforestation contribute to climate change hence the hyacinth and lack of fish in the lake.
“The fertiliser and other chemicals find their way into the lake via soil erosion from the nearby farms. Once in the lake, the chemicals provide a perfect ground for the hyacinth to grow and thrive,” said Komu.
