Political leaders from five counties bordering Lake Victoria have been asked to stand by a law that will regulate fishing on the lake.
Lake Victoria Fisheries Committee has asked the leaders from Kisumu, Busia, Homabay, Siaya and Migori to help in the implementation of the law, currently being refined by the team.
Dr Stephen Orot, chairman of the committee told this writer that leaders have in the past been linked to challenges derailing enforcement of policies on fisheries.
“When we try to implement these policies to achieve sustainable exploitation and the politicians oppose us as being too hard on the fishermen, then we are faced with a crisis,” he said in reference to the biennial ban on fishing of omena.
He said the public participation stage of the bill, drew political leaders to help the fishermen and other stakeholders appreciate the need for such regulations.
The bill expected in the Assemblies of the five counties seeks unify them in the fight against illegal fishing activities on the lake.
It also seeks to empower beach management units, which work closely with the fishermen, to help the counties in overseeing the enforcement of the new rules.
“The lake is a resource like any other and must be exploited sustainably; the challenges to sustainable use of the fisheries are the same across the five riparian counties. That is why we decided to come together to have uniform policies,” said Dr Orot.