Illegal fishing gear worth Ksh 6 million was destroyed by the State Department of Fisheries after being confiscated from various beaches in Homa Bay County.
This follows an ongoing operation to remove outlawed fishing equipment in Lake Victoria.
The fishing nets were burned in Homa Bay Town on Thursday evening in accordance with a court order issued by the Homa Bay Court directing the department to destroy the illegal nets.
Fisheries officer in charge of the South Nyanza region, George Omondi Ajuoga, led a team of officers in burning the illegal nets.
He explained that the nets were seized during a joint operation conducted across several beaches in Suba North Constituency.
Ajuoga noted that the use of unauthorized fishing nets has led to unsustainable fishing practices in Lake Victoria, causing a decline in various fish species.
He also issued a warning to the county’s Beach Management Unit (BMU) leadership, accusing them of perpetuating illegal activities in the lake.
Homa Bay County Director of Fisheries, George Okoth, stated that the operation aims to restore order to the lake by tackling the use of illegal fishing gear.
Okoth urged fishermen to adhere to fishing regulations and refrain from using unauthorized equipment in Lake Victoria.
By Citizen Digital