Fears of poaching, increased cases of human wildlife conflict and interference of marine life at the world famous Lake Nakuru National Park are high as fishermen flock to the lake.
Fishermen from as far as Nyanza and their counterparts from Lake Naivasha moved camp to Lake Nakuru after discovering that the once saline water mass was host to millions of edible tilapia.
Efforts to stop the uncontrolled fishing in Barut and Mwariki areas of Nakuru Town West Sub County have been fruitless as it has become a livelihood for hundreds of people.
In view of this situation, the Nakuru county in partnership with the national government through the State Department of Fisheries Management and Research and the Kenya Wildlife Service are looking for a sustainable solution to protect Lake Nakuru.
The partnership is aimed at safeguarding the National park and the water mass therein against illegal fishing, poaching and human wildlife conflict.
Officials from the State Department of Fisheries Management and Research are on a two-day joint fact finding mission on the impact of flooding on fisheries at Lake Naivasha and emerging fishing at Lake Nakuru National Park.
Also in the team were other government officials from the State department of Fisheries and Kenya Maritime and Fisheries Research Institute.
“Protecting the two natural resources which are vital to the country’s economy and international heritage requires a multiagency approach,” said Acting Deputy Director State Department for Fisheries Aquaculture & Blue Economy Kenya, Rodrick Kundu.
The team led by the Acting County Fisheries Director, Kiarie Kahareri visited the community around Mwariki, Barut ward, to interact with the new fishing community and other stakeholders.
Kahareri said the County was determined to keep off illegal boats and fishermen, saying that they were a threat to the water body due to uninspected boats that could ferry invasive weeds.
Fish samples were collected for laboratory testing to ascertain if it is good for consumption and void of heavy metals that could cause adverse effects after bio-accumulation.
Lake Nakuru National Park Senior Warden, Collins Ochieng’ said it was prudent to chart a way forward to help protect the world renowned park which was also a sanctuary for several animal and bird species besides being a Ramsar site.
All the three main lakes in Nakuru namely Naivasha Nakuru and Elementaita respectively according to size have been classified as Ramsar sites which means they are designated wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention under United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (Unesco).
Nakuru has the biggest number of lakes at five with the other two being Lake Solai in Rongai and Crater Salt Lake on Naivasha.
“The multi-agency team must ensure that there is no poaching or increased cases of human wildlife conflicts among other challenges,” he said.
Ochieng’ added that arrest of illegal fishermen in protected areas in the park and destruction of their fishing gears will continue.