This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
Published on May 13, 2020, a report by The Standard highlighted the dire situation facing the fishing industry in Western Kenya due to rising water levels in Lake Victoria.
More than 300 fish landing beaches have been forced to close, with a persistent back flow along the lake's shoreline submerging fish bandas, docking piers, shops, and driving away hundreds of fishermen.
According to Evans Otieno, secretary of Usenge Beach Management Unit, the catch has reduced significantly, forcing most fishermen to temporarily abandon fishing.
"Business in this beach solely relied on fishing and with the rising water levels that have forced majority of the fishermen to venture into other economic activities, the revenue has equally gone down," Otieno stated.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni described the rising water levels in the lake as the worst in many decades, with water levels standing at 13.4 metres, one point less than the highest recorded in May 1964.
A recent study by North Carolina State University's Department of Marine, Earth and Atmosphere Sciences revealed that water levels in Lake Victoria will rise in the next 10 to 15 years due to changes in weather patterns as a result of global warming.
