Cold weather that has caused the fish catch in Lake Naivasha drop by more than 59 per cent in the last one month.
Fishermen and ecologists say the catch could drop further following the controversial introduction of a catfish species that has turned out to be a threat to the popular Tilapia species.
The national and county governments shifted officers from the Kenya Coast Guards Services and fisheries department around the lake.
In the last few months, the water level has dropped, illegal fishing has increased and restockng has stalled, all leading to a decline in the fish catch.
Grace Nyambura, the chairperson of Lake Naivasha and Oloidien boat owners’ association, sad the cold weather had hurt fish production.
She said this happens every July..
“Fish catch in this lake has dropped by over 50 percent, mainly due to the cold weather but the introduction of the catfish has also played a part,” she said.
Nyambura said the bottom-feeding catfish were interfering with the breeding grounds of tilapia and feeding on fingerlings, further worsening the situation.
She also said illegal fishing had dropped sharply after new officers from the Coast Guards and fisheries department were dispatched to the lake.
Plans are underway to first clean the lake of the tonnes of dead nets that were killing thousands of fingerlings every day.
“We have launched the process of cleaning the lake as we seek support from the county government to restock the water body with Tilapia fingerlings,” she said.
David Kilo from Lake Naivasha Boat Owners Association said failed restocking and open poaching in parts of the lake had reduced the catch.
He said that due to harsh economic times coupled with a drop in fish catch, many fishermen cannot afford to buy fingerlings
“The county seems to have forgotten Lake Naivasha despite its big contribution to the country through job creation and revenue and it;s time that restocking was done,” he said.
Kilo said declining water levels posed another threat to the fisheries and farming sectors.
