Alarm over increased deaths of fishermen in Lake Victoria

Fishing industry players in Homa Bay county have called for intensified enforcement of safety measures in Lake Victoria following the rising loss of lives of fishermen.

The sector actors decried the numerous incidents where fishermen have died by drowning in the lake in recent times.

Lake Victoria Beach Management Unit Network national chairman Tom Guda says the statistics of fishermen deaths in the lake is worrying, a trend he says required immediate rapid interventions to tame.
At least 10 fishermen have died in different parts of the lake in Homa Bay county in the last four months alone.

The latest incident occurred last Friday when a boat capsized leading to the death of two fishermen Rachuonyo North sub-county. The bodies of Meshack Ochuma, 32, and Pius Bura, 42, were retrieved on Monday following a search by fishermen alongside officers from Kenya Coastguard Service officials.

The two bodies were found floating a few meters from the point near Rambira beach where their boat capsized after it was hit by strong waves. In February, three fishermen died in different ways during operations in Lake Victoria within Homa Bay county.

Moses Ngigi died at Uyoga Beach in Suba North constituency after he reportedly slipped into the lake when he went to bathe. The deceased was unable to swim, causing his instant death. His fellow fishermen searched for the body and retrieved him some hours later.

This followed yet another incident where two other fishermen Paul Otieno and George Otieno also drowned in the lake.

Paul who operated at Sare Beach in Suba South, drowned when he was going to Nyatike to look for bait used for fishing.

He equally slipped from his boat into the lake. Efforts by his fellow fishermen to rescue him proved futile. His body disappeared in the water before being retrieved two days later.

Otieno drowned at Osiri Beach in the Suba South constituency. He also slipped from a boat during a fishing expedition with his colleagues.

Late last year, two fishermen died in an accident involving a ship and boat. The duo who operated at Remba Island in Suba North constituency drowned while on a fishing expedition when their boat was hit by a ship travelling from Kisumu to Uganda.

It was reported the boat split into two, making one part in which the two fishermen were seated sink as the deceased were unable to swim.

Guda claims there are gaps in enforcement of safety measures in the lake leading to escalating deaths of fishermen, some of which can be prevented.

He says relevant agencies mandated with enforcing the safety regulations in the lake must strive to work together to ensure strict compliance, noting that a multiagency law enforcement approach is crucial in preventing further fishermen deaths.

“We need concerted efforts from all the related agencies to ensure stringent compliance with regulations on safety measures in the lake to curb the trend,” he stated.

The deaths, he says largely occur due to non-compliance with set safety regulations, including failure by some fishermen to wear life jackets and overloading of the boats while on fishing expedition.

“I appeal to the government to provide quality lifejackets for fishermen in Lake Victoria to avert such cases in future,” said Guda, also Homa Bay County BMU vice chairman.

Further, the BMU official blames lack of properly coordinated rescue mission with the government agencies in the lake to the increasing fishermen deaths. He claims there has been lack of well-coordinated rescue operations whenever there is distress call from fishermen leading to rising deaths of fishermen by drowning.

According Guda, some of the fishermen deaths in the lake is attributed to the change in weather patterns which is affecting fishing activities in the lake. He points out that the erratic weather patterns have brought about increase in wave length and strength in sections of the lake posing threats to the fishermen while their fishing expedition.

“We don’t want to lose any more lives in the lake. Therefore, we are encouraging our people to heed advice from the Metrological department on regular weather patterns before they embark on their work,” he told People Daily, adding that the government should regularly provide fishermen with accurate updates on the weather patterns to help them plan their activities.

Consequently, Guda is proposing the establishment of strategic rescue teams in the counties bordering Lake Victoria to complement the work of Kenya Maritime Authority to minimize deaths which result from drowning in the lake.

Homa Bay County BMU chairman Edward Oremo also emphasized the need to intensify safety measures compliance in the lake, a move he says would help curb related deaths.