Coastal fishermen blame trawlers for declining fish stocks

Marine fishing is one of the key economic activities along Kenya’s coast. However, fishermen who use locally made, non-motorised boats to fish close to the shoreline in Kilifi and Tana River counties are facing a shortage of fish, which they partly blame on vessels using trawlers. According to the fishermen, fish traders and environmentalists, the vessels have damaged coral reefs and continue to catch juvenile fish, contributing to the decline in fish stocks. And as Francis Mtalaki reports, politicians have also been blamed for contributing to the shortage of fish through violations of the law.