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Fishermen on Lake Victoria want President Uhuru Kenyatta to lobby East African Community (EAC) member States to lift restrictions on fishing activities in the lake.

Through Lake Victoria Beach Management Units Network Chairman Tom Guda, the fishermen have appealed to authorities in EAC nations to open up the lake.

The fishermen drawn from Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya and Busia counties urged the President, who is the chairman of the EAC, to use his position to lobby to ease the fishermen movement.

Addressing the media in Homa Bay Town yesterday, Guda said the move will reduce arrests and harassment of fishermen in the lake.

He noted that the prevailing restrictions make fishing difficult, because fish moves freely across boundaries in the lake.

Shared resource

 “Lake Victoria is a shared natural resource by the member States, but fish has no restricted movement in the lake. We appeal to the President to lobby the countries to lift the restrictions,” Guda said.

They also urged the Government to put in place measures to end insecurity across the borders.

Guda further appealed to President  Uhuru, who is currently on a tour of the Nyanza region to fast track construction of Lake Victoria Ring road set to be funded by the World Bank. 

“The ring road will improve the road network within the fish landing sites and will also be great boost fishing activities,” he added.

The fishermen also want the government to waive taxes on fishing gears such as nets, twines, floats and boat engines.

They have also called on  the State to build protective walls along the shoreline to prevent back flow of Lake Victoria.

The water level in Lake Victoria has been rising over time and has caused destruction to Beach Management Units (BMUs) fish landing structures.

 “There is need for the government intervention to stop further damage through building of protective walls along the shoreline and supporting BMUs to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure,” Guda added.  –KNA