Lamu fishermen adopt new, sustainable fishing practices
By KNA, June 13, 2023Some 176 fishermen based in Kiunga, Lamu County, will benefit from a Fishing Gear Exchange programme aimed at ensuring fishing crews adopt the use of eco-friendly nets that embrace sustainable fishing practices.
The exchange programme is a collaboration between the Lamu County Government, Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Speaking in Kiunga Ward on Sunday, while launching the project, Governor Issa Timamy said the initiative aims at ensuring that fishermen in the Kiunga Marine National Reserve (KMNR) voluntarily exchange destructive, beach seine nets for more sustainable fishing gear.
Consequently, Timamy commended 11 fishermen crew out of 15 in Kiunga for surrendering their former fishing gears that posed devastating effects on marine wildlife, due to overfishing, stating that this move would lead to less wastage of fish produce.
Beach seine nets
According to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) estimates, fishermen throw away about 60 per cent of their catch are fingerlings that have not fully grown into fish, once they have been caught by the beach seine nets.
Beach seines consist of long nets made of nylon fibre of varying mesh sizes and lengths ranging from 200 to 300 metres and have floats along the top and weights at the bottom.