By ERIC JUMA
Fishermen in Siaya County have petitioned the Senate to include a clause in the Fisheries Management Bill, 2023, allowing the closure of Lake Victoria for four months every year to allow fish stocks to replenish.
Led by Beach Management Units coordinator George Owuor Otuoma, the fishermen endorsed the proposal, saying a temporary closure of fishing grounds would give fish species time to breed and replenish stocks.
“We are concerned about the decline of fish species in Lake Victoria. That is why we are rooting for a clause in the Fisheries Management Bill, 2023, currently before the Senate, to ensure fish stocks grow and benefit the community,” Otuoma said.
The Bill was approved by the National Assembly on August 5, 2026, and proposes the closure of selected fishing grounds for four months.
The Fisheries Management Bill, 2023, seeks to strengthen the fight against illegal fishing, improve oversight of the fisheries sector, particularly on Lake Victoria, and enhance penalties and enforcement against unauthorised foreign and commercial vessels exploiting Kenyan waters.
The Bill seeks to replace the Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2016.
Otuoma cited the three-month fishing ban at Kogoye Beach as an example of how temporary restrictions can help replenish fish stocks, saying fishermen recorded a catch of 1.3 tonnes on the first day after fishing resumed.
The gradual decline in fish stocks in Lake Victoria is hurting fishermen and the once-lucrative fish processing industry in Nyanza, according to industry players.
The fishermen attributed the decline to pollution, overfishing and a lack of alternative livelihoods.
They said some beaches that once recorded large catches now bring in less than 300 kilogrammes of fish a day.
“Though some of us have ventured into an aggressive programme of scaling up aquaculture activities, we see fishing restrictions as a better option,” Otuoma said.
“Fish, which is synonymous with the economy of this region, are not as abundant anymore. In many marketplaces, the few available are expensive and small in size,” he added.
Otuoma, who is also chairman of Lwanda Kotieno Beach Management Unit, said trucks from fish processing companies were sometimes forced to spend up to three days at the beaches waiting for Nile Perch and Tilapia, which arrive in small quantities.
He said there was intense competition for Nile Perch along the beaches, pushing up prices.
Otuoma recalled that in 1994, when Nile Perch processing was taking off, fish was abundant and a kilogramme sold for as little as Sh5 or Sh10.
Today, he said, a kilogramme of Nile Perch sells for about Sh150 at beaches accessible by trucks, while prices at interior beaches with poor roads are about Sh120.
Due to declining fish stocks, only trucks from three fish processing companies in Kisumu are now regularly visiting the local beaches, he said.
Most factories that emerged when Nile Perch was abundant have either closed or are operating below capacity because of a shortage of raw materials.
The remaining factories are also sending smaller trucks because of the difficulty of obtaining enough fish to fill larger vehicles within a reasonable time.
Otuoma spoke on Friday at Lwanda Kotieno Beach, where he led the destruction of 10 illegal fishing nets valued at Sh2.5 million.
He called for investigations into the source of illegal fishing gear and urged the authorities to find a lasting solution to its use.
“We want the national and county governments to deal with business people in Kisumu and Homa Bay selling illegal fishing nets to fishermen,” Otuoma said.
He said authorities should inspect businesses selling illegal fishing gear and consider denying them operating licences.
“The wrong fishing gear catches immature fish, thus reducing fish in the lake. We are already experiencing a decline in fish population. There are cartels that abet illegalities on the lake and it is high time we weeded them out,” Otuoma added.
Rarieda Sub-county Fisheries Officer Mark Owino backed the call for a crackdown on illegal fishing nets, saying authorities would continue confiscating and destroying them.
“We established that the illegal fishing gear is used by fishermen from Kisumu and Homa Bay, who have been extending their expeditions into Siaya waters while armed with stones, pangas and bottles, which they use as weapons,” Owino said.
He added that some fishermen had sustained injuries and been hospitalised after allegedly being attacked by Homa Bay fishermen while attempting to confiscate illegal fishing gear.
Owino called on the Kisumu and Homa Bay county governments to help eradicate the illegal nets, commonly known as “Abunglu”.
“Each Abunglu net costs Sh250,000, and today’s destruction involved nets worth Sh2.5 million,” he said.
