The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho has said that the government will compensate Busia fish farmers who incurred losses recently.
Addressing a press conference at the Works Building, Nairobi, on Thursday, Joho said community-based organisations should design
fish cages that can withstand extreme weather and upwelling.
“We will have a conversation on what we need to do to
sustain this kind of investment for the people. Our researchers have informed
us there may be issues of placements,” he said.
Over the weekend, fish farmers in Busia County, Kenya, woke
up to find thousands of dead fish floating on Lake Victoria, with losses
estimated at 50,000 tonnes.
Reports attributed the fish kills to reduced levels of
dissolved oxygen likely due to a natural phenomenon called upwelling, which can
be exacerbated by climate change and extreme weather.
Also present at the meeting was the chairman of fishers and farmers
of Port Victoria Joakim Omollo and Busia Governor Paul Otuoma.
Omollo and Otuoma met with the CS to discuss the loss of
fish in Lake Victoria.
The governor announced that he has given out Sh7 million to
facilitate the purchase of fish fingerlings and Sh2.5 million for feeds.
“We are allocating resources that support new volunteers to avoid these challenges,” Otuoma added.