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.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mwangi emphasized that Rarieda, being a fish breeding zone, needs to be protected. He called for an end to the use of nets that catch undersized fish and warned that the crackdown on illegal fishing gear would continue to ensure their removal from the lake. Siaya County’s Fisheries Officer in charge of Rarieda sub-county, Mark Owino, also urged the community to safeguard the lake resource to effectively benefit from it.
Fishermen from Rarieda, led by the area Beach Management Unit (BMU) network chairman Shiraji Otieno Aruna, expressed concerns about their counterparts from Kisumu and Homa Bay counties, whom they blamed for the increased use of illegal gear. They have appealed to the governments of the respective counties to take action against the use of illegal fishing equipment.