Govt to lift ban on night fishing in Lamu soon
Locals at Kizingitini in Lamu East prepare to go fishing in Indian Ocean on September 5, 2016. They want the ban on night fishing to be lifted. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Kanyiri said the national government is intending to remove the ban so that the fishing sector can improve.
- The prohibition was put in place as a safety measure following a series of attacks on both fishermen and tourists by Al-Shabaab.
Lamu County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri has called for patience among the fisher-folk in Lamu East for talks to have the ban on night fishing lifted are underway.
Addressing journalists in Lamu, Mr Kanyiri said the national government is intending to remove the ban so that the fishing sector can improve.
He said the national government had already embarked on expansion of the more than 250 kilometre Hindi-Bodhei-Kiunga road to open up the region to spur the trade.
"We have already kicked off an exercise to clear bushes along the Hindi-Bodhei-Kiunga road.
"Apart from enhancing security, the road will also enable easy access to the area. The government will soon lift the night fishing ban. I am confident that once the ban is lifted, the fishing trade will grow rapidly....," he said.
COMMERCIAL FISHING
The county commissioner also called on fishermen in the region to explore commercial fishing as a means to economic empowerment.
He said the sector is underdeveloped.
Majority of Lamu East residents depend on the activity for their survival, and after the restriction was installed in Kiunga in 2011 the number of fishermen condensed.
AL-SHABAAB THREAT
The prohibition was put in place as a safety measure following a series of attacks on both fishermen and tourists by Al-Shabaab.
However, after the KDF soldiers, under the Operation Linda Boni, were deployed in the county to fight off the terrorists, Mr Kanyiri said security has been enhanced, hence the government should revisit the directive.
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy has in numerous occasion attributed the increasing poverty levels to the ban.
