This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
Published on September 16, 2019, a major clean-up exercise was undertaken in Lake Naivasha to target abandoned nets in the water body. The exercise was preceded by a three-day fishing ban imposed by the sub-county government.
However, the efforts to conserve the lake's ecosystem have been hampered by the increasing number of youths from neighboring informal settlements who have been illegally fishing in the lake. According to Francis Muthui, the chairman of the Friends of Lake Naivasha, over-fishing has led to the depletion of fish stocks, particularly the Common Carp species.
Francis Muthui noted that the Common Carp fish, which once accounted for over 80 per cent of fish caught in Lake Victoria, now makes up only five per cent of the lake's fish population. He attributed the decline to over-fishing and illegal fishing practices.
"Currently, getting Common Carp species in the lake is a miracle. We fear the species will be extinct just like the Black Bass which is no longer available in the lake," Muthui said.
David Kilo, the chairman of the Lake Naivasha Boat Owners Association, echoed Muthui's sentiments, stating that the Common Carp species was becoming increasingly hard to net due to the use of undersize nets by fishermen.
Mathew Ngila, the Director of Fisheries in the county, acknowledged the challenges facing the lake, including illegal fishing. He stated that the county was working with local fishermen to restock the lake and engage researchers from the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (Kefri) to help save the fish.
