Fish shortage looms in Kisumu as common dagaa species record a drop.
This, coupled with rising demand, has pushed up prices of the commodity in the lake region. Dagaa has been a cheaper alternative for decades but has recently received a knock following a combination of climatic factors and overexploitation by fishermen, according to authorities.
The periodic April to July ban on fishing of the species has not been observed by fishermen, weighed heavily on efforts to keep it in continuous supply.
The cost of the delicacy, popular with most fisher folks, has gone up by up to thrice the prices three months ago.
A tin of the commodity fetches up to Sh300 at the sources. This is double increment from just below Sh100 formerly charged. And with the prices seemingly stable at that height, consumers have been resorting to other fish species, which have in turn registered upward trends.
A two-kilogram tilapia now costs as high as Sh500 up from Sh200 while one kilogram of Nile perch goes for over Sh200 from Sh100 a few months ago. This is according to beach management units (BMUs).
"Transitions from rainy to dry seasons weigh heavily on dagaa stocks. They can only thrive well in clear waters; soil erosion and the industrial wastes dumped into the lake inhibit their reproduction, hence reduced stock. This makes the other species highly targeted," said John Ouya the Kisumu BMU chair
He said that when juvenile fish are caught, there will be no fish to multiply, putting the sector in the risk of crisis.
Fisheries ministry Kisumu County liaison officer, Jonam Etyang’ said the number of illegal fishing gears that catch immature fish have also been on the rise, further worsening the situation. He said this result in overexploitation of young fish and those in critical habitats, footing the in precarious situation of overfishing.
He added that constrained resources choke regulation that would weed out such illegalities.