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Kenya |
SOCIAL CONDITION
A look at the daily life of Lake Victoria’s in-shore fishermen
The ban imposed by the European Union on importing fish from Kenya was lifted in 2001, bringing great relief to many people. Nevertheless, daily life for those who must earn their living by fishing in Lake Victoria is difficult.
I decided to have first hand experience of life around Lake Victoria. We started our journey at approximately 4.40 in the morning, taking about half-an-hour to trek along a winding path. The ground was hard and rough after a recent flood that had rendered many people homeless. We then «hit» a sunken path more than two hundred metres in length, filled with muddy water. Both sides of the path were lined with tall, dense reeds. This took us to what we presumed to be the lakeshore — in fact it was flooded land.
Embarking in a canoe, we paddled around to the bay where fishing takes place. The water was filled with hippopotamuses and one of the experienced fishermen with us, warned us to avoid them! «They’re over there», he said. At first I didn’t understand, but having just missed one in the gloomy early morning light, I soon understood! We reached the bay at 6.am., and there were already people busy pulling in their nets. I was told they’d been hard at it since midnight! The fishermen we met up with, told us they’d had an unpleasant encounter with a hippo which had bumped against their canoe, forcing one of them to let go her paddle (fisher«men» are of both sexes). It was dreadfully cold and never before have I experienced such clouds of hungry, and perhaps, angry mosquitoes!
How to catch a fish
Our net was made ready and taken out into the bay. The time was by now 8.30 a.m. and it took another half an hour to attach bait to the net. Fishing is conducted in the following way. The whole net is tied onto a long rope. One end of the rope is secured to the shore, the other end plus the net taken is into a canoe and pulled far out into the lake.
Then the canoe is turned round, and net and rope are dragged back to land so that the end of the rope is about two metres from where the rope is attached to the shore. The idea is to entrap any unwary fish into the net. Pulling such a weight demands considerable effort and strength and at least six people are involved in the whole operation. A typical fishing net can be dragged almost a kilometre out into the lake.
Unfortunately, there are also big timers who use motorised boats to go deep into the lake and make large catches. We eventually started to pull our net round and back towards the shore at about 9.30. a.m. and the whole exercise lasted until past noon.
Our net got entangled with another one just ahead of our canoe and it took a great deal of precious time and energy, plus some harsh words on both sides, before we could start «fishing» again. Truth to say, our catch wasn’t much to write home about. Barely sufficient to cater for the expense of hiring a canoe and for necessary repairs to the net, plus something for those helping in the canoe.
We left for home at 1.15 pm, this time taking a different route. None of us wanted to meet up with a hippo again. However, we came up against another threat. The breeze had changed, forcing us to battle against waves which made the canoe sway dangerously. And I don’t know how to swim!
I got home at about 2.30 pm, but next time I eat fish, I will be more aware of what is involved in catching fish, and especially the tough life led by the fishermen of Lake Victoria.
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