Illegal fishing gear worth Sh1.8 million destroyed in Rarieda

The Kenya Fisheries Service (KFS) has destroyed illegal fishing gear worth over Sh1.8 million in Rarieda sub-county.

The KFS officer in-charge of Siaya County Joshua Mwangi, who led the destruction exercise stated that the illegal gear was confiscated along the beaches in Rarieda sub-county.

He was speaking during the destruction exercise at Luanda Kotieno beach, where he called upon the area fishermen to ensure that the lake is used sustainably.

Mwangi said that Rarieda being a fish breeding zone needs to be protected and therefore called for an end to the use of nets that catch undersized fish.

The Fisheries officer warned that they shall continue with the crackdown to ensure that they remove all the illegal fishing gear from the lake.

Siaya County’s Fisheries Officer in charge of Rarieda sub-county Mark Owino equally pleaded with them to protect the lake resource to be able to effectively benefit from it.

On their part, fishermen from Rarieda led by the area Beach Management Unit (BMU) network chairman Shiraji Otieno Aruna blamed their counterparts from Kisumu and Homa Bay counties for the increased use of illegal gear.

They have therefore pleaded with governments of the respective counties to reign in their fishermen to stop using the illegal gear.

By Brian Ondeng