Lake Victoria Fishing: Safety, Cold Chain, and Fair Markets
Our fishermen in Nyatike and Suna East risk their lives on Lake Victoria every day. They deserve safety, cold storage, and fair prices.
The fishermen of Nyatike, Suna East, and Suna West wake before dawn to cast nets on Lake Victoria. They face storms, illegal cross-border arrests by Tanzanian patrols, drowning, and — too often — come home with a catch that spoils before it reaches a fair market.
Yesterday I met fishermen at Sori Beach in Nyatike. Their demands were simple: life jackets, weather alerts, cold storage at landing sites, and protection from harassment by Tanzanian authorities on the lake.
As Governor, I will: (1) equip every registered fisherman with a life jacket and emergency beacon; (2) build solar-powered cold rooms at Sori, Wich Lum, and Lwala beach; (3) install free weather-alert SMS systems through our county SMS gateway; (4) establish a Migori Fish Cooperative to negotiate fair prices; and (5) work with the national government and the East African Community to de-escalate cross-border fishing tensions.
