Fishermen at Lake Naivasha protest over new KMA certification

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Fishmonger displaying her catch at a trading centre along Lake Naivasha. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Fishermen around Lake Naivasha are in a dilemma following directives that they acquire vessel certificates from the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA).
Coxswains have not been spared either under the exercise that is meant to address the issue of safety around the troubled water body.
Currently, training and issuance of the safety certificates is carried out in Mombasa and Kisumu raising fears that tens of the fishermen and coxswain could be locked from operating in the lake.
The Kenya Coast Guards Service (KCGS) is enforcing the directives and several boat operators have been arrested and charged in court for operating without the document.
According to the Lake Naivasha Network, Secretary Grace Nyambura, very few persons could meet the new demands by the coast guards.

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyajui (in a striped T-shirt) inspecting fish. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

She challenged the Nakuru County government to sponsor some of the fishermen in the safety training so as to comply with the new regulations.
“The new regulations require that each boat operator have a safety certificate from Kenya Maritime Authority and the only place you can get is Kisumu or Mombasa,” she said.
Nyambura at the same time said the only way of addressing the tens of challenges currently facing the lake lay in a management plan.
Speaking during a consultative meeting in Naivasha, Nyambura identified use of undersize nets, closure of corridors and failure to restock as the major challenges currently facing the lake.
“For years we had a challenge due to illegal poaching but since the arrival of Kenya Coast Guards Service these cases have reduced drastically,” she said.
On his part, the chairman of the network Paul Olang raised his concern over failure by the county government to renew their fishing licenses.

Fishermen at Lake Naivasha. [File, Standard]

He said that this had exposed the fishermen to arrest by the coast guards adding that the delay had lasted for over one year now.
“The county promised to increase the number of fishing boats by 80 and renew our licenses but this has not materialized,” he said.
However, the CEC for Agriculture in the county Dr Immaculate Maina said that the licenses would be renewed starting next week.
She added that the country had plans to restock the lake with black bass species which had better returns compared to Tilapia and Common carp species.
“Last year the county used Sh20m in restocking and we have similar plans this year so that we can improve fish catch in the lake,” she said. 

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