Boats in Lake Naivasha to be fitted with number plates

 

Boats operating in Lake Naivasha will be fitted with special number plates in an effort to help curb rampant cases of illegal fishing.

Speaking after overseeing the commencement of the exercise, Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) Regional Manager Lamu Alex Munga said only those with valid licenses will be issued with the identification plates.

The move, he explained, will help weed out the increasing number of poachers who continue to wreak havoc in the lake, causing massive loss of revenue for the county government of Nakuru.

“The authority is committed to streamlining operations across all the water bodies in the country,” said Mr Munga.

The exercise, he explained, will help in capturing the data of all licensed lake operators and vessels allowed in the various lakes.

Get bank loans

Those who will be cleared by the agency, Mr Munga said, will be able to secure bank loans, access insurance and other social amenities.

“Under the blue economy the loaning entity — KCB Bank — has not been able to give out the money due to the existing logistical challenges, hence the need to streamline operations in the Kenyan water bodies," the KMA official revealed.

He underscored the need for stakeholders in the industry to secure loans, saying it will help improve their lives and also help grow the sector which boasts of around 16,000 vessels.

He, however, regretted that the vessel owners had not been properly registered, hence the need to have their details recaptured afresh for proper documentation at the KMA registry.

Since its inception, the authority has been conducting sensitisation campaigns across the country, targeting stakeholders in the water transport, tourism and fisheries sectors and the general public on water transport safety.

Patrolling the lake

Mr Munga said the posting of the Kenya Coast Guards will make it more efficient to patrol Lake Naivasha and help control rampant poaching.

During the event, Tarambeta Beach Chairman Rajab Omari welcomed the move to introduce the registration system, saying licensed fishermen had suffered at the hands of the illegal fishers.

“Their nets have been destroyed and the majority of them have lost fishing gear worth thousands of shillings,” he said.

He hailed the move to give loans to the lake stakeholders, saying that a big number of them have abandoned the trade due to lack of money to purchase new gears.    BY DAILY NATION