Fishermen want government intervention to increase income.

Small-scale fishermen around Lake Victoria have raised concern over low fish prices set by fishing agents saying the government need to intervene to enable them raise their income.

 They claimed that lack of official agreement between them and fishing agents denies their rights whenever they are afflicted with sea calamities.  Omary Masomi, a fisherman at Mswahili Fishing Camp told The Guardian in the Region that while agents’ sells fish to fishing companies at between Sh6, 000 and Sh10,000 a kilo; small-scale fishermen are forced to sell to agents at as low as Sh300 a kilo. Masomi said the income obtained from fish sells can hardly support their families because sometimes they get very little catch that can hardly be sold at profit. He said fishermen teaming up in groups of four usually catch 100kg of fish on daily basis saying there is need for fishing agents to recognise their efforts by offering them better fish prices. “We need the government to fight for us and ensure we sell our fish to agents at profit and also ensure that we are empowered” he said. Mussa Paul, also a trader at the camp said they were still selling fish to agents at very low prices despite fish prices increase in the local market and world at large. At Mwaloni Fishing Camp, also located in the region, fishermen called upon the government to stop favouring big investors; instead they should solve harassment and low fish prices facing fishermen.  “Fishermen sometimes have their 10 mm sardine, fishnets confiscated by authorities in pretext that they are involved in illegal fishing. Fishermen were living in poverty despite being in the business for more than 10 years” Paul said. According to him, a number of authorities conducting illegal fishing campaigns lack the knowledge to differentiate various fish-nets depending on the size and type of fish. He said authorities have failed to contain illegal manufacturing of fishnets as well as importation. Asked for comment, the Officer-in-Charge, Fisheries and Management in Mwanza Zone, Lameck Mongo said they were no longer monitoring illegal entry of fishnets due to lack of funds for the exercise. He said there is need for small-scale fishermen to ensure they form groups to enable them speak with one voice and resolve their problems with fishing agents. “We need all communities living around water body areas to collaborate and fight illegal fishing, the government alone cannot manage,” he said.

By The Guardian -Correspondent