Fishermen reel in million-shilling investments

Lamu County has said it will equip fishermen with modern fishing gear, equipment and safety materials to sustain the industry.

The area’s fishermen have been complaining that the industry has not been given the attention it needs to enable it contribute more to county earnings.

Lamu County Fisheries and Co-operatives Development Executive Atwa Salim said the government is investing to make the sector more lucrative and sustainable.

“We are aware fishermen are getting a raw deal due to a lack of incentives and value addition, but we are in the process of exporting processed fish products to the Gulf States, which we hope to implement by the end of the year, to make the industry more attractive,” he said.

The county has also procured and started distributing 83 generators to power fishermen’s canoes and dhows.

“We have started forming groups and they will soon benefit from engines, cooler boxes, large fishing nets for more sustainable fish stocks, GPS gadgets and life jacket floats,” Mr Salim said.

He added that the county government is also putting up a Sh20 million cold storage facility in Kiunga Island, as well as a Sh15 million ice plant in Kizingitini fishing village.