Headache for fishermen as weed invades lake Naivasha

Fishermen in Lake Naivasha wade through water hyacinth which has invaded a third of the water body making it hard to navigate or fish. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

The invasive water hyacinth is back in Lake Naivasha. The weed has been choking the water body and adversely affecting tourism and fishing activities.

The hyacinth has swept away tens of nets, causing fishermen losses running into thousands of shillings, with details emerging that more than 20 per cent of the lake is now under the plant.

Stakeholders are now calling on the national and county governments to urgently address the menace before operations are paralysed.

According to David Kilo, the chairman Lake Naivasha Boat Owners Association, a lot of attention had been put in Lake Victoria in dealing with the weed.

Also suffering

He said the operators in Naivasha were also suffering due to the weed, which, he said, had become unmanageable and a nuisance.

“Currently, sections of the South Lake are inaccessible due to the weed, which is spreading at an alarming rate and raising anxiety among operators around the lake,” he said.

Mr Kilo said apart from destroying nets, the weed had adversely affected navigation at a time the lake was recording high number of local and international tourists.

“For a long time focus has been on Lake Victoria in terms of fighting the weed, but Lake Naivasha has been left to choke under the hyacinth,” he said.