16 Tanzanian fishermen arrested for illegal fishing
Fishermen in Lake Victoria. The 15 Kenyan fishers arrested in Tanzania last week are yet to be released. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The Tanzanians were arrested Sunday along the shores of Lake Victoria near Bamgot beach in Migori County.
- Fishermen from the three countries have in the past demanded that the lake be demarcated.
- The latest arrests come barely a few weeks after 36 Kenyan fishermen were arrested and detained by the Tanzania authorities.
Kenyan authorities have arrested at least 16 fishermen from Tanzania for allegedly trespassing into the country and using outlawed fishing equipment.
The Tanzanians were arrested Sunday along the shores of Lake Victoria near Bamgot beach in Migori County.
The foreigners were then taken to Macalder Police Station where they were locked up but their boats remained docked at Bamgot.
Migori County police boss Joseph Nthenge said the suspects will be taken to court as soon as investigations are complete.
"Right now, my officers are still interrogating them," he added.
In the past, Kenyan fishermen in Lake Victoria have also been arrested and charged on similar grounds by both the Tanzanian and Ugandan authorities.
Fishermen from the three countries have in the past demanded that the lake be demarcated with red ribbons to enable them know where the boundaries are.
"Currently, we are just using guesswork to [establish] where those boundaries could be in the lake," said Mr Bros Otieno, a Kenyan fisherman from Muhuru beach.
The latest arrests come barely a few weeks after 36 Kenyan fishermen were arrested and detained by the Tanzania authorities for alleged trespass.
