Kepher Otieno

The government is to construct two fish landing sites in Nyanza at a cost of Sh140 million from fhis financial year, Fisheries Principal Secretary Francis Owino has revealed.

Already, he said, the money has been set aside and construction work is set to start immediately after the December and New Year festivities.

The two new sites are Sori fish and Luanda Kotieno fish landing spots located in Migori and Siaya counties.

“We intend to start the construction of the fish landing sites this year which will provide a location for the first point of sale  and for  fish products in the new year,’’ Owino (pictured) explained.

The sites will provide a place where fishermen can leave their boats and buyers can obtain fresh fish supplies from the Lake each day.

Owino was speaking at Tom Mboya Labour College during a multi-agency sectoral meeting fusing security team and Beach Management Units, (BMUs), drawn from Western Kenya region.

He said the way in which fish is treated at landing centres, will have implications for the fish landing sites in the shores of LakeVictoria and at downstream points of supplies and value chain.

“This will curb  deficiencies in infrastructure at landing sites where fishermen productivity over the years has been very low and the levels of spoilage and fish waste were very high,’’ the PS added.

He said the government is also exploring options to turn all fish landing sites into border control points where marine information would be shared with the beneficiary communities.