A fisherman maneuvers his boat back to his nets as dawn breaks over the serene waters of Lake Victoria. Photo |Courtesy
In Summary:
- Two fishermen tragically lose their lives in a dispute over a fish breeding area in Lake Victoria.
- Enock Opiyo, 25, and Dancan Okoth, 40, drowned during a confrontation with fishermen from Koginga Beach over fishing activities in a restricted zone.
In a distressing incident in Suba North constituency, Homa Bay County, the tranquil waters of Lake Victoria turned tragic as two fishermen lost their lives in a dispute over a fish breeding zone.
Enock Opiyo, aged 25, and 40-year-old Dancan Okoth, both from Uwi Beach, met their untimely demise on Tuesday evening during a physical altercation with fellow fishermen from Koginga Beach.
According to the area chief, Charles Ngoe, the unfortunate events unfolded when a group of fishermen from Koginga encroached upon a designated fish breeding area in Uwi, where fishing activities are strictly prohibited.
Responding to this intrusion, five fishermen from Uwi Beach set out in their patrol boat to confront their counterparts already engaged in fishing within the restricted zone.
Tensions escalated when the Uwi fishermen requested their Koginga counterparts to cease their fishing activities in the breeding zone. Despite the plea, the Koginga fishermen persisted with their actions, leading to a heated altercation.
Amidst the chaos, the situation took a fatal turn when the Koginga fishermen’s actions caused the overturning of their colleagues’ boat, resulting in the tragic drowning of Enock Opiyo and Dancan Okoth.
Three fishermen were fortunate enough to be rescued, but the two victims lost their lives on the spot.
Efforts to retrieve the bodies of the deceased resumed with a search operation launched on Wednesday morning, underscoring the somber aftermath of the confrontation over fishing territories in Lake Victoria.