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Agrochemical Poisoning behind the Waning Fish Reserves in Lake Naivasha

Category: Pesticides | Date: Jul 13 2009 | By: Martin Odino

Lake Naivasha is amongst the few ‘living’ small akes of the Rift Valley and boasts rich bird and the once rich but now almost gone stock of Tilapia fish; the ‘living’ status is attributed to low salinity of its waters and therefore though this condition precludes the presence of many peoples’ favourite spectacle of Flamingoes from the Lake, other birds, hippos, and water life generally flourish. Like many other ecosystems however, the lake has not been spared from intoxication which is blamed behind the progressive fish declines. I should note here that in one of my surveys on areas with intensive Furadan use, Naivasha’s flower farms turned out markedly as foci in which Furadan was used in gross quantities

Just to highlight on lake Naivasha’s special importance to biodiversity, Lake Naivasha is a stronghold of one of Kenya’s iconic Eagles, the African Fish Eagle that relies on the fish from the lake; a pity the fish are pesticide laden.

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An African Fish-Eagle catching a fish

Researchers claim the chemical run-off from farms around the lake, which use its water for irrigation, and the town’s sewage are the main killers of fish. The story (Fish Stocks Dwindle as Pollution Rises) was captured recently in a local newspaper, The Standard.

Kenya’s life is battered left and right with pesticide intoxication; again we have people eating the fouled fish!!!!and the fish are nose diving to their extinction!

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3 Responses to “Agrochemical Poisoning behind the Waning Fish Reserves in Lake Naivasha”

Eddy, on 20 Jul 2009

Before starting pointing at Flower farms please check the facts first. The majority of the flower farms are exporting companies and are not allowed to use any chemicals like Furadan.

Next to that Flower farms have huge investments which will become useless when the lake dies. So there is no benefit for the farms to use chemicals like Furadan.

Let’s work together to stop the use of dangerous chemicals like Furadan, but don’t do that by pointing at the most easy and visible groups like the flower farms. Point to the persons that are using it and come with prove that they do.

Martin Odino, on 21 Jul 2009

Thanks for the comment Eddy. That is the problem. Furadan is used where it should not be. Even the rice schemes using Furadan is outlawed but its grossly used; Use of the pesticide for vegetable production… the list is endless;poisoning of birds using Furadan is not the expected.
That information was from some workers in the flower farms. I have a pal who works in the industry in central Kenya and he told me that ideally it is forbidden to use the pesticide (ranked as class I) but for some reason, it is used. I however acknowledge any precise information that you and anyone else may have and it will be glorified, believe me.
By the way this post meant to emphasize the fact that agrochemicals are killing the lake, not specifically Furadan which was a by the way.
Please keep reading and commenting Eddy.

Sal, on 28 Oct 2009

What really gets my goat are all the unsubstantiated accusations made about the condition of and around Lake Naivasha.
1. The declining fish population has nothing to do with poisoning, it is called “over exploitation”
2. Declining water levels are not because the flower farms are over extracting water, it is called “changing climate” caused by the degradation of the forests and illegal farming on riparian land along the rivers. River flows are vastly reduced because of illegal water use.
Kenya’s land area has a stocking rate that is sustainable at about 10% of the present livestock population. (here I am talking about cattle) These animals now graze and destroy what is left of the papyrus, a very vital part of the ecosystem.
If you want to write meaningful and constructive articles, research the above and see how accurate the statements are.

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