We won’t stop fishing in disputed waters despite ICJ ruling: Kenyan fishermen

GOOBJOOG NEWS|LAMU: Kenyan Fishermen based in the coastal region of Lamu have vowed to continue fishing in the disputed Indian Ocean waters despite the International Court of Justice’s ruling.

Representatives for fishermen lamented said Saturday they will not be deterred by the ICJ ruling which handed Somalia most of the disputed area.

“We will keep fishing where we have been fishing because the ICJ made a very uninformed choice. It’s obvious they didn’t want to consider what happens to us,” spokesman of the fisher folk Mohamed Somo said.

On October 12, the UN’s top court ruled largely in favour of Somalia in its long-running dispute with Kenya over their maritime border, a decision that has since been rejected in totality by Kenya, who accused the ICJ of bias.

Meanwhile, an organisation calling itself ‘Save Lamu’ hailed Kenya’s withdrawal from the ICJ adding that continued membership would have justified the biased decision by the court.

“We share a culture and a lot of things with our Somalia friends but when it comes to issues like borders and people’s livelihoods being affected, we ask the government to fight tooth and nail to protect the same,” said the organisation’s spokesperson.

Over 7,000 fishermen in Lamu county are reportedly directly dependent on fishing. The disputed area, spanning a 38,000 square mile triangle equivalent to 100,000 sq km, is thought to be rich in gas and oil.