Pastoralists angle for bigger earnings from fish

• The United States African Development Foundation (USDAF) has offered Sh15 million to five groups in the area to invest in modern fishing equipment and expand their market reach.
• According to Timothy Nzioka, the USDAF regional representative, three of the groups that benefited from the grant are at Kalokool on the shores of Lake Turkana while the others are at Kerio and Elea springs.
• Consequently, earnings from fish around Lake Turkana has increased from Sh12 million to Sh16 million while production has improved from 31 to 35 tonnes in the last six months.
• Business on the lake has declined drastically after traders moved out of the area due to insecurity fears following fighting between Turkana and Merriles from Ethiopia.

TURKANA

Commercial fish business is taking a new turn in Turkana County after an American development organisation gave a Sh70 million grant to boost the trade as an alternative source of income for pastoralists.

The United States African Development Foundation (USDAF) has offered Sh15 million to five groups in the area to invest in modern fishing equipment and expand their market reach.

According to Timothy Nzioka, the USDAF regional representative, three of the groups that benefited from the grant are at Kalokool on the shores of Lake Turkana while the others are at Kerio and Elea springs.

Consequently, earnings from fish around Lake Turkana has increased from Sh12 million to Sh16 million while production has improved from 31 to 35 tonnes in the last six months.

“The fishmongers can now afford fibre glass fishing boats, safety equipment and access expanded markets for their produce and increase income generation,” said Mr Nzioka.

Business on the lake has declined drastically after traders moved out of the area due to insecurity fears following fighting between Turkana and Merriles from Ethiopia.

The attacks forced most commercial fishmongers to move out of Lake Turkana, hitting fish trade, an alternative source of income to livestock among the two communities.

“Plans are under way to provide the fishmongers with refrigerators to store their produce and await better prices,” said Mr Nzioka adding that prices have increased from Sh60 to Sh180 following the implementation of the project.

“Lack of proper storage facilities has for long subjected the fishmongers to exploitation by traders who offer low prices at shores of the lake,” said Mr Nzioka.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan are some of the external markets for fish from Lake Turkana while Nairobi and Kisumu are major local buyers.

Trade assessment report by Indian Ocean Commission indicates that DRC imports an average of 89,000 tonnes of fish to meet domestic consumption.

Large amounts of the imports are from Lake Turkana and empowerment of fishmongers by USDAF enables them to tap the market and improve income from fish trade.

At the same time, fish-farming has become a multi-million venture in the North Rift region as more youths take it up as a source of income and employment.

“Poverty levels are set to decline as most youths and farmers divert from traditional maize and wheat to more lucrative fish farming,” said James Mutai, a farmer from Nandi County.