Kisumu County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo has cautioned residents around Lake Victoria to take precautions when on fishing expedition in order to curb human – wildlife conflicts.
Leparmorijo said such incidents sometimes culminated in the death or severe injuries attributed to crocodiles and hippo’s attacks.
He regretted the death of a fisherman at Dunga beach last week but revealed that investigation established that the fishermen trespassed into the hippos breeding site.
As a result of this, he added, the hippos knocked and shipwrecked their boat and so advised them to prioritise safety while ensuring that they use the right fishing gears.
“We lost one-person last week at Dunga when a hippo toppled a fishing canoe and so we are urging our fisherfolk to avoid hippo breeding points to guard against further loss of lives”, he stated.
Leparmorijo reiterated the government’s commitment towards improving the welfare of the fisher folk by constructing better fish landing sites, establishing and commissioning a Marine School at Kabonyo Kanyagwal in Kisumu County.
By Milton Onyango