The Turkana government has intensified the crackdown on illegal netting undersize, immature fish with small-mesh nets in Lake Turkana.
The county's fisheries officers raided several fish stalls and dens where illegal undersize fish are fried and packaged in Kalokol near Lake Turkana.
David Namwaya — acting director of Fisheries leading the exercise — said several tonnes of packaged undersize fish were seized and taken to fisheries stores.
Namwaya said they had made the decision after a number of business people deliberately defied a government order to stop the illegal trade that threatens to starve the lake.
“As long-term solution to undersize fishing, we are controlling fish trade flow through permits as well as limiting access to traders and fishermen involved in the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activities,” he said.
He said the fisheries officers are also carrying out awareness campaigns on illegal fishing along the Beach Management Units.
Namwaya added that the team had earlier on met with members of the Nariamet BMU to discuss the planned demarcation of fish breeding sites in Kalokol ward.
He said the primary objective of the exercise was to ensure sustainable fishing of the fish by protecting breeding habitats.
He said the county government will use scientists from Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute to demarcate the fish breeding sites within the Nariamet BMU. Ekoyo and Impressa BMUs will be involved in the management.
The director said the decision to involve the research institute was because of their expertise as well as capacity.
KMFRI Lake Turkana station coordinator Maurice Obiero said the exercise will start this week, noting that they will involve the BMU on implementation of the project and hiring of labourers.
The Nariamet BMU chairperson David Eipa welcomed the move to demarcate the breeding sites and lauded the county government’s effort to end undersize fishing along Lake Turkana.
“We have been raising alarm over overfishing and [the fishing of] undersized fish in Lake Turkana for a long period, we appreciate the efforts of the county government to enforce the ban,” he said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo dealers are the main buyers of Turkana fish for export and the local fishermen also supply fish to Busia, Kisumu, Kitale and Nairobi.
(edited by Amol Awuor)