People living around Lake Naivasha, an important wetland, know their well-being depends on the lake’s health and careful management.
Ishmael Akol, 35, beams under a faded blue baseball cap while proudly holding aloft a fresh catch of tilapia fish for the camera.
At Ishmael’s feet a group of women are sorting freshly landed fish from Lake Naivasha, just a stone’s throw away.
We are at the Central Landing Beach, one of four nerve centres of fisheries operations in Kenya’s second-largest freshwater lake – a body of water that supports hundreds of thousands of residents and is a major contributor to Kenya’s gross domestic product, due to tourism, agriculture and its world-renowned flower industry.
“The fish business is good here,” Ishmael says. “On a good day I can make up to 10,000 shillings [$100].”
In recognition of the value of the fishing industry in Lake Naivasha, Imarisha Naivasha, a public-private sector-community-driven initiative supported by the Kenyan government, is working to improve the fisheries’ infrastructure at four officially designated Lake Naivasha landing sites through a special grant to Beach Management Units.
“This involves the construction of modern fish handling sites at the landing beaches, including sanitary slabs for fish preparation, cold storage facilities, and eateries,” says Kamau Mbogo, CEO of Imarisha Naivasha.
© Imarisha Naivasha
The county government already regulates activity along Naivasha’s shores, offering different types of licenses – for boating, fishing, tourism, shops and eateries. Fisherfolk are not allowed to fish within 100 metres of the shoreline because it is a breeding area. They are also restricted to only a certain type of net that allows immature fish to get away. Overfishing would destroy the trade.
“We are only legally allowed 40 boats at this beach, a decision that was made between the beach management and the County Government of Nakuru,” says Ishmael.
Local people harvest, grade, weigh, and transport fish to different markets, the main one being Nairobi, a 2.5-hour drive away.
The sustainability of these economic activities is tied to the health of the lake, a Ramsar “Wetland of International Importance” since 1995. And the health of the lake is in turn influenced by activities in the upper catchment, from which flow the two rivers that discharge their waters into Lake Naivasha – Gilgil and Malewa.
© Imarisha Naivasha
“This interconnectedness of the 3,000 km2 Lake Naivasha Basin ecosystem requires concerted efforts among different players to guarantee the livelihoods of fishermen like Ishmael, as well as the sustainable functioning of flower and other farms, and a host of disparate businesses that sustain the local and national economy,” says Mbogo. Over 700,000 people live in the basin.
In tackling degradation of the Lake Naivasha catchment, Imarisha Naivasha is guided by a five-year Sustainable Development Action Plan.
“UN Environment welcomes initiatives like Imarisha Naivasha which holistically support freshwater ecosystem management,” says Lis Mullin Bernhardt, a UN Environment freshwater expert. “Our new global Freshwater Strategy 2017–2021 prioritizes the use of integrated water resources management approaches to manage competing uses of freshwater resources and tackle both water quality and water quantity issues.”
Further Resources:
Putting the Spotlight on Lake Naivasha this World Water Day
New pest control techniques for Kenya’s flower hub
For more information: imarishanaivasha@gmail.com or visit www.imarishanaivasha.or.ke
Media enquiries: unepnewsdesk[at]unep.org
