State to restock fish in Naivasha

By KARANJA NJOROGE

The Ministry of Fisheries has embarked on a Sh2 million project to restock Lake Naivasha with tilapia.

The project that will kick off mid this month is expected to raise the stock of fish that has fallen to below five percent.

According to Naivasha District acting fisheries officer Nicholas Kagundu, the project will run until June this year and will involve introduction of fingerlings into the lake.

"In the last few years the number of the tilapia species has continued to drop with common carp species going up and we want to change this," he said.

He admitted that the exercise faces various challenges due to poaching but said plans were underway to increase patrols.

Mr Kagundu was speaking in Upendo village in Naivasha during the first harvest of fish in the district in ponds constructed under the Economic Stimulus Programme.

The village supports people living with HIV and Aids orphans and was among the first to benefit under the programme.

The officer praised the project saying the constituency had 200 ponds which had employed hundreds of youths.

"Today marks a very important day for us as this is our first catch in the district and the tilapia weigh around 500 grams," he said.

Challenges

He said the programme had faced various challenges with drought drying up many ponds.

On her part, Sister Florence Muia who is the executive director of the village said proceeds from the sale of fish would go towards assisting the orphans. "Fish is also nutritious for those living with HIV/Aids and when our catch increases, we shall be supplying it to them," she said.

Last year the Government took a flower company to court for alleged discharge of toxic waste into Lake Naivasha that led to death of fish.

A ban was placed on fishing and hawking of fish along the lake.

Meanwhile, environmentalists have cautioned extinction of marine life and drying up of the lake due to extensive pollution and overuse of the scarce water resource of the fresh water lake.