The fishing community from the shores of Lake Victoria-Nyatike Sub-County has called upon the Migori County Department of Fisheries to move with speed and solve the beach dispute among the communities.

Speaking at Kimambra Beach in North Kadem Ward-Nyatike, the fishing community lamented that their counterparts from Kao Beach have been encroaching on their fishing territory without permission.

The officials led by Charles Ongure said that the dispute started in 2019 but was finalized the same year when a clear boundary structure was agreed upon in the presence of both government officials and the two fishing communities occupying Kao and Kimambra beaches.

They accused certain Beach Management Unit (BMU) officials of creating a rift between the fishing communities of Kimambra and Kao Beach, highlighting that they have been coexisting peacefully for years.

“We have been on good terms with neighbours from Ngwena Beach on the right side of the beach, but some Beach Management Unit (BMU) want to create a rift between the Kao Beach community on the left and us,” said Ongure.

The fishing communities in Nyatike have been invading each other’s territories to increase their catch.

In recent years, fishermen from Lake Victoria have been lamenting the reduction in fish, especially tilapia and Nile perch, due to overfishing, pollution, climate change, and invasive species.

The invasion of fishing grounds by various fishing communities in Nyatike, like those from Muhuru Bay, Sori Bay, Kimambra Beach, Kao Beach, and Ngwena Beach, has increased infighting over fishing areas.

By Makokha Khaoya