Lake Turkana, the world's largest desert lake, is an otherworldly place. Located in the cradle of mankind, 90% of the lake’s water level comes from Ethiopia’s Omo River. Tangible climate change across Kenya makes herding around Turkana increasingly untenable. There’s a new wave of fishers in the desert taking advantage of the flooding and new abundance of fish.
The Turkana region is home to quite an interesting cultural mix, says Kevin Obiero, a researcher at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. Yet the significance of cattle for the Turkana, Borana, Rendille and other pastoralists remains strong. “When one community wants to marry, they need to fetch cattle from another community,” says Obiero. “Livestock is pride, fish is cash economy. Fisheries are getting the limelight with the cash it brings in.” Even cultures that did not previously consume much fish are bolstering their fishing capacity.
But what's fascinating is how these herders-turned fishers, when given the chance, are reinvesting the cash they made from fish, back into their livestock: “The importance of cattle is ingrained from childhood,” notes Obiero. Income from fishing may actually be a resourceful way to preserve pastoral cultural continuity.
This story was made possible by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting
