Business activities paralyzed as stubborn weed increases coverage by 1100 hectares in a month

Florence Anyango at Kendu Bay pier, Homa Bay, on July 6, 2018. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

A fresh hyacinth invasion has affected fishing and transport activities on Lake Victoria.

According to the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), the weed has spread to 1,100 hectares in the past one month.

The institute's director, Christopher Aura, told The Standard that satellite images indicated that the weed occupied about 4,000 hectares of the lake.

The weed has blocked several beaches, including Lwang’ni, paralysing transport and fishing.

Fishermen said they were afraid of getting trapped by the weed, which is also known to hide snakes and crocodiles.

“It is a risky affair to fish at night because you cannot tell where the weed is and if it is going to surround you or not,” said Ignatius Otieno, a fisherman at Ngege beach.

Late last month, four fishermen were trapped for three days near Ngegu beach in Homa Bay sub-county.

Their rescue led to calls for more safety measures for fishermen, including life jackets.

Dangerous waters

Homa Bay County Director for Disaster Management Eliud Onyango warned that the lake was becoming increasingly dangerous due to the weed.

Traders said the rapid spread of the weed was affecting business around the lake and called for more efforts to eradicate it.   

According to Dr Aura, the fight against the weed has been long and costly.

The marine expert said the most effective method to eradicate the weed was manual removal.

“We are monitoring it using a predictability map. It is heading towards a number of beaches,” said Aura.

He explained that wind patterns had an impact on the movement of the weed.

Last year, the weed covered more than 12,000 hectares of the water body and trapped several fishermen.

It also paralysed transport on the lake.

A ship loaded with more than 2,000 tonnes of fertiliser imported by Uganda was among cargo worth millions of shillings that was held up at the Kisumu port for several months as lake transport slowed down.

Residents have resorted to praying for divine intervention along the lake's shore.

Strong winds eventually blew some of the weed away while the rest dried up and sank.

Researchers said Victoria’s fish stocks on the Kenyan side had dropped to 2,500 tonnes annually, from 5,000 tonnes, partly due to the hyacinth spread.